Solstice
by ReadingTwilight
Summary: Bella is still recovering from her trip to Italy and Edward returning. The Cullens are full of excitement at the arrival of the Denali's, but something evil lurks in the shadows of Forks. I'm not Stephenie Meyer nor do I own Twilight or the characters.
1. Preface

_He who is in love is wise and is becoming wiser, _

_sees newly every time he looks at the object beloved, _

_drawing from it with his eyes_

_and his mind those virtues which it possesses._

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

**Preface**

I guess this is preferable, at least to the alternative. Jacob and Charlie and Renee and all the Cullens are all safe. Edward isn't here to see me suffer. And Alice would keep him from going to the Volturi. She promised.

At least Alice wouldn't lie to me.

It's kind of a relief actually. Edward and Jacob will be free to live their lives as they wish and I… well… I'd go on I suppose.

I stared up into dark red eyes, willing to accept my fate…


	2. The News

**The News**

The night started like any other one, but I had a feeling it was about to end badly.

I panted as I ran towards the meadow. Our meadow, Edward's and mine. Edward Cullen was the vampirical love of my life. I tripped over a branch, but surprisingly got up immediately and continued running. I skidded to a stop just before the meadow opening.

"Edward?"

Edward stood at the opening. He turned to face me, his eyes shining faintly in the moonlight. His smile faded as he saw me, and he shook his head. Turning, he entered the meadow, fading into the fog. I ran after him, wondering what it could all mean. As I entered, I couldn't find him.

"Edward, where did you go?" I shouted, frustrated.

"Bella?"

I turned at the sound of my name to see a stunned Jacob Black, my best friend. At least, he was.

"Jacob, have you seen…"

My words cut off as Jacob's face became contorted. He began to transform. I took a step backwards in fear, ready to scream for help, but he didn't become a wolf as I expected him to. Instead, he became a small child. The female child grinned up at me with dark red eyes. I took a step back in fear.

Jane.

I woke up hyperventilating with tears running down my face. It took a few minutes to convince myself that I was alone in my room. Hugging my legs to my chest, I swallowed back my sobs. It was ridiculous to cry over a nightmare that I had been having for the last few weeks. One would think that I'd be used to it by now. I sighed and got up to look out my window. Edward had mentioned that he might leave sometime during the night. I opened my window and perched myself on the ledge. The moon was staring down at me, surrounded by twinkling stars. I couldn't help but wonder what was so important that Edward would feel the need to take off in the middle of the night.

"Are you sure?" came an excited voice from below my window.

Looking down, I could see two shadowy figures. I made one out to be Edward, his silhouette so familiar to me. The other was his 'adopted' sister, Alice Cullen, one of my best friends. She was shaking her head excitedly and dancing around.

"Of course! Carlisle just clarified it too!" she proclaimed. "You should tell Bella!"

"I'll wait till tomorrow," Edward said, his perfect voice sounding hesitant. "She's been having trouble sleeping as it is…"

"Nightmares again?" Alice asked in disbelief, worry coloring her tone. "Maybe we should—"

I grimaced. I could just imagine the look that Edward gave me at her implications.

"You should get back to Jasper," Edward said, "He's getting anxious…"

"Well, of course, he doesn't know yet," Alice said smugly, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"It is, but Emmett's on the verge of telling him-"

Alice was gone in a flash and Edward chuckled. I quickly shut the window and leaped into bed, not wanting him to think that I was eavesdropping. Concentrating on my breathing, I felt a slight breeze as the window was re-opened and Edward entered.

"How much did you hear?"

Sighing, I sat up in my bed, not meeting his eyes.

"Not much… I just saw the two of you out there… and someone is coming?"

Edward crossed to the bed and lifted my chin with his icy cold hand.

"You could have let us know you were there," his tone reproving.

"What couldn't you read my mind?" I asked grouchily, knowing that I would hit a nerve with that one.

Edward frowned and folded his arms across his chest, glaring at me.

"Oh stop, I feel guilty enough," I grumbled, laying back and pulling the covers over my head.

I felt Edward sit down on the bed next to me, and pull the covers off me.

"Don't you want to hear my news?" he asked, his eyes smoldering.

It was really hard to concentrate with Edward leaning over me, his golden eyes piercing as he smiled his famous crooked smile.

"S…sure." I stumbled over my words. Why was it when he was so close my tongue stopped working?

Edward grinned and stroked my face with his cold hand.

"The Denali's are coming to visit…," he said calmly, his eyes studying. Probably for my reaction.

"The family from Alaska?" I asked.

Edward sighed in relief, pleased that my reaction was calm.

"Yes, they are a lot like us, vegetarians you know," he began, speaking so quickly that I had to concentrate to catch it all. "They are a family of five, but we'll introduce you when they get here. Tanya, the clan leader, is the same age as Carlisle, so they've known each other for a long time. We used to live with them for a while, before we came to Forks that is."

I nodded, digesting this information. Another group like the Cullen's coming for a visit? It sounded interesting but…

"How do you think…well… they'll take to me?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm sure they'll love you," Edward said smoothly, not meeting my eyes.

"They're okay with you dating a human?" I asked, shocked.

"Well… most of them are…" he said, shrugging.

I groaned. Just what I needed, another Rosalie. Rosalie Cullen, Edward's beautiful adopted sister, and I were only just beginning to get along. Before, she had loathed me for being what I was, a human. Edward crawled onto the bed next to me, and leaned over me. He had a playful gleam in his eye.

"Edward," I growled. "That's very distracting and I'm trying to talk to you."

"What is?" he asked innocently, flashing another smile at me.

My breath caught in my throat and I instantly forgot what I was saying. He leaned in closer and nuzzled my neck.

"The… thing you're doing…isn't helping me think…" I struggled to get the words out.

"Why do you need to think?" he asked, his breath cool against my cheek.

"Because… I just… I do…" Was I really talking like this? Like I was just learning how to?

Edward pulled up to look me in the eyes.

"Just trust me, they'll love you."

I looked into his eyes, instantly trusting every word he said. He smiled his glorious smile and leaned down to kiss me.


	3. Precautions

**Precautions**

I woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. Forgetting that Edward was probably waiting for me to get up for school, I rolled over in an attempt to not wake up. I squinted at the clock located on my bed stand.

9:30 a.m.

I leaped out of bed in a panic. I had been late to school before but never an hour late! Charlie was going to kill me! Running into the bathroom, I quickly assessed the situation. My truck wouldn't start and I couldn't get a hold of Charlie. I scowled at myself in the mirror, quite a feat as I was brushing my teeth at the time. That would never work; everyone knows I go to school with Edward. Edward! I quickly spit in the sink and skidded back into my room.

Edward sat on my bed, holding back a smile.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I questioned him angrily. "Do you want me to be late—Wait, why aren't you at school?"

Edward didn't respond but nodded towards the window. I rushed over to see what the matter was. Outside, fog literally covered up the woods near the house. The road itself was barely visible. Then it dawned on me.

"School is… canceled isn't it?" I asked.

As if he couldn't contain it any longer, Edward burst into a fit of laughter.

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled.

"I'm…I'm sorry, but…" he choked out, "Your face was just…"

He shrugged through his laughter as I stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door locking it. Just to spite him I took an extra long shower and took as much time as I could dressing and brushing my hair. I was still angry by the time I unlocked the door. Edward sat on my bed, looking extremely apologetic.

"Bella?" he asked hesitantly. "I'm sorry it was juvenile of me to pull that prank on you. Will you forgive me?"

If I had had it my way I would have continued to be angry with him, but his eyes caused me to instantly forgive him.

"I guess," I said, unwillingly.

Edward smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching. The look on my face must have set him off again, because he fell into another fit of laughter. I ran over and tackled him playfully, but with little success. He merely flipped me onto my back on the bed and pinned me down. I struggled to escape, glaring up at him.

"No fair! You have vampire strength!" I complained, still squirming.

His golden eyes glistened playfully and he leaned in closer. I felt my heart skip a beat as he kissed the skin behind my ear.

"Then you shouldn't have attacked me," he whispered, his velvety voice seductive. "So it's perfectly fair…"

It wasn't, but who was I to complain?

I sighed and stopped struggling. He loosened his grip, but continued to keep me pinned down. Edward smiled irresistibly at me and leaned in to kiss me. My heart began beating erratically as usual. His lips parted slightly and---

"Having fun?"

Edward leaped off me with lightening speed. I felt the blood in my face boil and I looked over at a sheepish Edward. Then I looked at Alice who was leaning on the wall across from my bed with a mischievous grin on her face. My eyes flitted back to Edward, who now looked furious.

"A little warning would have been nice," he said, his voice low.

"I did," Alice said, dancing towards the foot of my bed. She leaped up and landed cross-legged at the end of it, causing me to be jostled upwards. "It's not my fault you weren't listening. But then again you were bus---"

"Alice," Edward said warningly.

"Alright, alright, down to business." Alice said, pushing her short hair out of her eyes. "Well, as I assume you both know, the Denali's are coming for a little 'family reunion'. However, Carlisle would like everything to be orderly which means…"

She glanced at Edward, and apparently thought out the rest of it.

"Absolutely not!" Edward roared.

"What?" I asked, "Come on, I can't read minds!"

"It's the only way," Alice persisted, "They aren't going to listen to us vamps now are they?"

"I refuse to put her in danger like that!" Edward yelled, "Haven't I put her through enough? Haven't we put her through enough?"

Alice winced and looked down at her hands. I reached over, knowing instantly what they were talking about.

"Alice, you know I don't blame you for Italy," I told her.

She smiled at me and than glanced at Edward.

"Carlisle wants you to arrange a meeting with those Quileute dogs to let them know that we are having visitors." She blurted out.

"Alice!" Edward snarled, his lips pulled back in a horrible contortion. "You've gone too far---"

"Edward, stop it!" I said, rising to go over to him. "I'll talk to him Alice, we'll meet you all in a little bit."

Alice nodded and flew deftly out the window. I turned to face Edward.

"Edward, I want to do this. I owe you and your family that much---"

"I will not trust you to some idiotic werewolves who could easily take your life as if it were nothing!"

"Then… come with me…" I said, a plan forming in my mind. "I'll make the arrangements with Jacob…"

His face became even more displeased at the sound of Jacob's name. I raised up my hand in a stop motion.

"Just let me finish!" I said.

Edward paused and then nodded unwillingly.

"I make the arrangements and I tell them that we need to meet to discuss the treaty. I'll tell them that there has to be only one werewolf and one vampire present to discuss this predicament, so to speak."

Edward ran his hand through his hair, his face torn. I could tell that he could see my reasoning. For once I was winning a battle with him!

"Come on, don't you trust me?" I asked, attempting to put on my best innocent face.

"I trust you," he said finally, "It's them… It's _him _I don't trust…"

I took his hands in mine and looked up into his face.

"Come on, we'll go discuss it with you family, before we make any decisions…"


	4. Planning

**Planning**

The run over to the Cullen's place was excruciatingly quiet. As we arrived, Edward dropped me to the ground a bit rougher than usual and turned to face me.

"Why do you insist upon putting yourself in danger?" he asked, unable to contain his fury any longer.

"I'm not putting myself in danger!" I retorted, stepping around him. "Your family is waiting on us, let's go!"

I attempted to stalk off, but Edward grabbed my arm, causing me to spin towards him. Breathless, I looked up into his dark topaz eyes. He was looked thirsty, I noted, and aggravated. Sighing, I reached a hand up to his face. He leaned into it and his expression relaxed.

"Please, Bella, I know I've been unceasingly overprotective lately, but please understand that I just don't want anything to happen to you and werewolves are definitely under the 'anything' category."

"Jacob's my friend, Edward," I said, stroking his cheek. "I know that's hard for you to understand, but I mean it. He would not let anything happen to me. And besides you said yourself you owe him."

Edward's face grew unbearably hurt as I reminded him of our previous conversation. When Edward had left, Jacob had kept me sane, which kept me from doing anything stupid. Overcome with guilt, Edward had admitted to me that he felt in debt to Jacob for keeping me alive… although that didn't constitute Jacob being trustworthy.

"Please Edward, let me do this…" I said softly, "I owe your family so much alrea---"

"Don't." he said, taking my face into his hands, "I feel guilty enough… I just don't want anything to happen to you. I can't afford to lose you again…"

"You won't," I said, confidentially. "I survived before I met you didn't I?"

Edward grinned unwillingly at me and shook his head. "How you did, I will never know."

"Neither will I," I retorted.

I rose to my tiptoes to lightly kiss him on the cheek. It was getting easier all the time to keep my heart from going crazy, but I'm sure he heard it skip a beat as he grabbed my hand and pressed it to his mouth.

"Shall we go in?" he asked, a half-hearted smile on his face.

"Yes," I said, flashing him a full grin, hoping to cheer him up.

I seemed to succeed as he chuckled and lead me into the house.

"We're here," he said, not bothering to raise his voice.

Carlisle and Esme were the first to greet us. While Carlisle and Edward shared a few quiet words, Esme strolled over and wrapped me in one of her warm hugs.

"It's always wonderful to see you, my dear," Esme said. She seemed excited.

"Likewise," I said, happily.

Esme was like a second mother to me. Whenever I would come over, she would always have the kindest things to say and was always comforting whenever I was frustrated with Edward, rare though that was. Carlisle was more like an uncle to me than father. He was often working, so I did not see him as often as Esme, but I still enjoyed his company thoroughly.

"Hello Bella," he said cheerfully, smiling in my direction.

At that moment, two huge arms came out from behind me to grab me in a bear hug. I gasped as the arms pulled me off the ground, before setting me back down. A booming laugh came from behind me as I whipped around.

"Emmett!" I exclaimed in surprise. "You're home!"

Emmett, Edward's bear-like brother, and his sometimes wife Rosalie had been vacationing somewhere in Canada. They hadn't expected to be home for at least another month.

"We heard the news so we came home early." He explained.

"Where is Rosalie?" I asked.

My words were cut short as Rosalie entered. Heartbreakingly beautiful as always, she flashed me a tentative smile. I smiled back wholeheartedly. After the whole Italy fiasco, Rosalie and I had been on good terms, at least for the most part. There was still an awkward sort of feeling between us, but at least we were somewhat on the same page.

"Well, Jasper and Alice are waiting in the dining room," Edward said, grabbing my hand again. "Let's get this over with…"

I rolled my eyes and walked with Edward into the dining room. Upon entering, Alice winked at me mischievously, causing me to go into another blushing spell. Jasper merely looked between Alice and me and grinned. This only caused my blush to deepen; I figured that Alice would tell him. The rest of the Cullens filed in and took seats around the table.

"Before we begin, I'd just like to say that we've put Bella through enough," Edward stated, despite my shushing gestures. "I don't think we need to be all that hasty to throw her to the dogs."

As Edward retook his seat, I flashed him as nasty a glare as I could manage.

"Isn't that up to me to decide?" I hissed at him, not bothering to care who might be listening in.

"Alright, that's enough," Carlisle said, his voice commanding, yet calm. "We don't intend on throwing Bella to anyone or anything. However, she is our connection to the werewolves---"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Emmett cut in, "Why should we have to tell them anything? It's none of their business."

"Unfortunately it is," Carlisle said. "Back when I made the treaty with Ephraim Black there was an agreement. If we were to have expected visitors that the visitors would be responsible for following the treaty guidelines. But in order to keep them from attacking the Denali's they must know that they are with us."

I saw Edward tense up next to me, knowing that I was going to be brought up next.

"As of right now, our only nonviolent connection to the wolves is Bella…," he said.

I fidgeted uneasily as six pairs of eyes became focused on me.

"As we all know, she befriended the young werewolf, Jacob Black…" Carlisle continued. "He is the son of the current leader, William Black."

Emmett leaned back in his seat and whistled. "Geez, Bella, you sure know how to pick 'em."

I flushed again and refused to meet anyone's eyes.

"This means that Bella may be able to arrange a meeting."

"That of which I will be present during," Edward said, a low rumble in his throat.

Carlisle looked Edward in the eyes and shook his head.

"No."

"Then she's not going!" Edward said standing up, outraged.

"I will be going." Carlisle said, turning to face Edward fully. "Edward, you have wonderful control, but you are too quick to jump to conclusions about these wolves. You being there would only create tension. No, I will go with Bella to protect her. You will stay here with the rest of the family."

"Edward," I whispered. "He has a point... but Carlisle, there's probably going to be two werewolves present."

Everyone turned to face me and I met all of their eyes defiantly.

"Think about it, Jacob is not going to let his father meet with a vampire alone, I know him better than that. If there's going to be two werewolves there should be to vampires…"

Edward sat back smugly, assuming that I was going to suggest that he go as well.

"And… I think that Jasper should go too."


	5. Reactions

**Reactions**

The shocked silence after my suggestion gave me enough time to see everyone's reaction. Jasper looked at me as if I had literally lost my marbles and they were rolling around on the floor. Alice pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair stiffly, clearly disapproving my suggestion. Emmett simply looked confused and Rosalie was emotionless, as if she were still turning it over in her head. Esme looked rather bewildered as she glanced between Jasper and I, as if the answer were written on our faces. Carlisle nodded once to show his approval; he guessed my meaning behind it. I didn't even want to look at Edward, guessing his reaction. Then, as if everyone was holding it all in, the room erupted in a chorus of opinions.

"Jasper?" Emmett asked, scratching his head, "I don't know…"

"It's not a bad idea," Rosalie grudgingly chimed in.

"Absolutely not!" Alice said her normally cheery face angry, "No!"

"Me?" Jasper asked, looking confused. "Why?"

"I don't think it's so horrible, dear, but why Jasper?" Esme asked, confused.

"Just hear her out," Carlisle said to the rest of the group, who were still arguing amongst themselves.

Edward didn't say anything at all.

"Please," I said, raising up both of my hands. Everyone quieted down and stared at me. "Look, I didn't just randomly pull Jasper's name out of a hat, okay? I have reasons!"

I looked pleadingly at Jasper. He took a deep breath, and nodded for me to continue. He must have been using his gift, because I felt more confident and everyone else seemed more relaxed.

"With Jasper's…er… gift, we can keep this potential meeting under control," I continued. "Jasper, you can calm people down right?"

Jasper seemed to think it over in his mind before answering.

"Well… yes to a certain extent…"

"Every little bit helps… and Alice you'll be able see if this will work or not right?" I asked, looking at her.

Alice frowned at me, but gave a stiff nod. Jasper nodded as well, understanding my reasoning.

"Then it's settled…" Carlisle said.

I chanced a glance at Edward to see how he was taking it. Edward was staring down at his hands, his face expressionless.

"Edward…" I said, softly.

"I'd still prefer if we were at least stationed nearby," he spoke, not looking at me. "That way I can tune into their thoughts and in case of an attack we can help prevent _anyone_ from getting hurt…"

I couldn't help but think that the 'anyone' was really just me.

"I believe those terms are agreeable, don't you, Bella?" Carlisle said, glancing at me.

My throat was all choked up from Edward's reaction, so settled with a stiff nod.

"They won't want to meet on La Push so try for the clearing right off of 120. The meeting should take place tomorrow, if possible. The earlier, the better and if not than sometime during the night, though I can't see them agreeing to that—"

"Unless they are planning to attack," Rosalie cut in, her words harsh. "You can't trust those flea-bitten bi—"

"Enough," Esme said, catching my disgruntled expression at her direct insult upon my friend. "This has been enough excitement for one night…"

She rose and gave a look towards Edward. I watched as something silently passed between them, before she flew out of the room. Everyone else dispersed as well, leaving only Edward, Jasper, and I. Emmett and Rosalie walked out together, their heads together conspiratorially. Alice shot me an angry look before storming out.

"Bella?" Jasper asked hesitantly.

I looked at him, worried that he too might be angry with me.

"Thank you…," he said simply.

"For what?" I asked surprised.

He hesitated, glancing towards the door from which Alice had just exited.

"I owe this family so much…" he said, his gaze returning back to me. "I feel like now I may actually be able to repay them back for some of the good they have done for me. I know Alice doesn't like the idea of me getting into a dangerous situation such as this one… but I know she'll come around…"

Jasper rose and gave me a polite nod, before speeding out of the room, probably in search of Alice.

"Edward?" I asked tentatively, after a moment of awkward silence.

Edward sighed and stood up, turning to face me. His face was heartbreakingly sad.

"Bella… do you still not trust me… after what happened?" he asked, his words slow and precise.

"No! Edward that has nothing to do with it! And I do trust you!"

"Do you really think I would hurt your friend if I were to go near him?" he asked, his words becoming angrier.

"No! That's not it at all!"

My eyes began to well up as I looked away angrily. Why did I always cry at moments like these?

"I do trust you," I said, my voice breaking slightly.

"Then why? Why Jasper and not me?"

"For the reasons I said, Edward!"

"And that's all?"

"Yes!"

We stared each other down, Edward's face stony. I couldn't help it any longer. Tears began to stream down my face. Looking down, I made no attempt to wipe them off.

"Bella…" he said, his voice hesitant.

"I'm fine," I said, choking on my words.

Edward pulled me into a long hug as I cried. I cried for many reasons, all the things that had happened that tried to tear us apart. His lack of faith in me and my reasons for choosing Jasper. Having to meet with my former best friend who wanted nothing more to do with me. For the fact that Edward still wouldn't change me, despite the fact that graduation was drawing ever near. We stood there in a long embrace as I wept out all of the tears that I had been holding in. After a good fifteen minutes, I pulled back, sniffing.

"I'm sorry, I got your shirt all wet…" I said, apologetically.

Edward merely chuckled and pulled me in again, pressing his face into my hair.

"I'm sorry, Bella… It's still hard for me to believe that you still love me after all I've put you through…"

I pulled back and took his face in my hands.

"I will always love you," I declared, looking into his eyes with utmost sincerity.

"As will I always love you," he said.

Edward leaned in to kiss me and this time, there was no interruption.


	6. The Phone Call

**The Phone Call**

I stared down at the phone in my hands, dreading the conversation. I had asked to be alone to do it, and Edward had respected my wishes.

"Don't take it personal…" I had said to him, "It's just something I need to do alone…"

He had frowned at me, but nodded with a sigh.

"I need to go hunting anyways…," he said reluctantly, "Please be careful what you say though. Any information given to them can be used to hurt all of us…"

His words echoed in my head as I finally built up enough nerve to dial the number. It rang three times before I finally heard Billy's familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Billy its Bella…"

"Sorry Bella, Jacob's not here," he said, his voice exasperated.

I couldn't blame him. For a long while, I had called nearly everyday trying to get a hold of Jacob, who still wasn't talking to me. I felt a slight tightening in my chest as I remembered the days when we were still friends.

"Oh… well… I actually called to talk to you…"

"Me?" Billy's voice became instantly concerned. "Are you alright? Has anything _happened_ to you?"

It was impossible to miss what he was implying in that question. I frowned, wishing that he wasn't so anti-vampire.

"No, no, I'm fine," I said reassuringly. "But… well… I was asked to do a favor… for _them_…"

I was sure that he would catch on immediately. Sure enough, Billy's voice grew cold and defiant.

"And what do they want you to do?"

"Well… they need to have a meeting with you… to discuss the treaty…"

"They've told you about the treaty?" he asked, his voice angrily.

"No, Jacob did—"I blurted out, unable to contain myself. I regretted it instantly, but there was no going back now. "Well, not intentionally, I mean, he told me the legend of it, before he knew he was a…"

I drifted off, mentally hitting myself for possibly getting Jacob in trouble, although he did deserve it after the whole motorcycle experience.

Billy was silent for a moment, before continuing, "When and where?"

"The clearing right off of 120," I said quickly, "Tomorrow, although the time is up to you…"

"9 pm" he said immediately. "Is the whole clan coming?"

"No, there will only be two of them present," I explained, "To keep it fair, I think that you should take Jacob with you…"

I had an ulterior motive for asking Jacob to come. It had been so long since I had seen him and I wanted the chance to talk to him. Perhaps this could be my chance.

"That is agreeable…" Billy said, although is voice was still cold. "But if this is a trick I'm going straight to Charlie with all the information I have about you and the bloodsuckers."

My voice caught in my throat. Charlie. He had been on a fishing trip for the last three days and would be returning home tonight. I couldn't even imagine what he would say if he found out my boyfriend was a vampire.

"Of course…" I said, my voice quiet.

"9 pm, the clearing off of 120, tomorrow?" he asked, wanting clarification.

"Yes."

"Fine."

I heard the line go dead as Billy hung up the phone. He wasn't happy with me, but at least he wouldn't go to Charlie. I looked up as the door creaked open.

"Hello?"

"In here!" I called out.

Charlie walked into the room looking rather pleased with himself. He grinned at me as he loaded up the fish he had caught into the freezer.

"We got home earlier than we thought. Traffic wasn't nearly as bad as usual. Any messages for me?"

"Just the police station, wondering if you'd come in tonight," I said, turning to face him.

Charlie's face looked more relaxed than it had been for a long time. He had really needed that vacation.

"I'll probably stop in," he said, "How was it around here without me?"

"Pretty uneventful," I lied. "The trip went well I take it,"

"Definitely," Charlie said, grinning at me, "Not a dull moment."

"Oh never," I said sarcastically, "What could be dull about fishing?"

Charlie laughed and grinned at me again. I smiled back, pleased to see him happy for what seemed the first time in weeks.

"Well, I'm off to the station," he said, "Don't wait up for me, I probably have loads of papers to fill out."

"Okay, see you later!" I said as he walked out.

"He seems happy"

I jumped up, nearly throwing my chair to the ground. Edward caught it before it could hit the ground.

"Don't scare me like that!" I said, putting a hand to my heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," he said, holding back a laugh.

I took a deep breath and glared at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be hunting?"

"I finished early," he said, his eyes a golden topaz as if to prove his point. "I didn't want to stay away from you longer than I had to…"

His voice drifted off as he looked at me seriously.

"Oh…" I said, remembering.

Sometimes with all the other things, that I had been worried about lately it became easy to forget about the dangers close to home.

"Victoria?"

Edward nodded, "We still haven't caught her, but it's only a matter of time… Carlisle explained to me that that was another reason for the meeting. We need to discuss what should be done with her…"

I nodded weakly. Edward looked at me, concern in his eyes.

"Well…" I finally said, "I'm rather tired… but you should go tell Carlisle that the date is set. Tomorrow at 9 pm in the clearing… I'll probably just head for bed…"

Edward nodded, although I could see from his face that he was worried. Probably about my sanity.

"Seriously," I said, forcing a grin, "I'll be fine… just come over when you're done?"

"You'll be asleep…," he said, surprised I still wanted him to come.

"It just makes me feel safer knowing you'll be there when I wake up…" I said honestly.

He nodded and gave me a swift kiss on the lips. In a flash, he was gone. I sighed and put my head in my hands. I was definitely going to need my sleep if I wanted to be prepared for the meeting.


	7. Jasper

**Author's Note:** Jasper's story is entirely made up except for the following counts: He was a major in the Confederate Army in 1863. A woman named Maria did change him and he did live with a vampire family that fed off humans. He was 20 when he changed and he did meet Alice before meeting the Cullen clan. These facts are Stephenie Meyer's and not mine, nor do I lay claim to them. Yet, to better imitate her writing style and the overall Twilight feeling I am using these to create my own idea of how Jasper was transformed. All credit for the above goes to Stephenie Meyer and Twilight Lexicon (where I got the information). I highly recommend Mrs. Meyer's site and Twilight Lexicon for any interested viewers.

* * *

**Jasper**

"Is everyone ready?" Carlisle asked, "Remember, you can not be seen!"

"Right," Emmett said, the excitement written on his face.

"Now, there will be more than just us there. I can guarantee the other werewolves will be on standby," Carlisle continued. "There's no telling if they will attack or not but we must not attack first! This is a completely hands off operation."

Rosalie and Alice nodded in agreement. Esme stood by Carlisle and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take it from here, dear," she said. "Don't worry; I'll keep them under control."

"Of course," Carlisle said, "We'll meet you there."

Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice flew out of the room. Edward stayed behind and stared at me.

"Bella… you don't have to come along for this…"

"I want to, Edward," I insisted. "Please, don't worry about me…"

I knew it was useless to say that. He was going to worry about me no matter what I said or did. Edward pulled me into a tight hug.

"Stay safe… don't leave Carlisle's side for even a second…," he whispered into my ear.

I nodded and looked up at him, startled at the worry I saw there.

"I won't, besides you'd know if I did," I said, my voice cracking despite my attempt at a light-hearted tone.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss me. It ended far too soon as he ran off to join the rest of the group, leaving only Carlisle and Jasper with me.

"Alright, we'll take my car," Carlisle said, "Come on, kids."

I couldn't help but smile at his use of the word 'kid'. I wasn't exactly sure just how old Jasper was, but I was sure he was far too old to even remotely be referred to as 'kid'.

Jasper and I followed Carlisle out to his car.

"Sorry, but you'll both have to sit in the back," Carlisle said, apologetically, "I'm afraid I have quite a bit of medical papers on the front seat."

I nodded, although I was a bit apprehensive to sit so close to Jasper. Although I knew he would never intentionally hurt me, I could still remember what he was capable of. I shuddered as I remembered my near-death experience with him over a paper cut. Jasper gave me a shy smile as I buckled my seatbelt. I smiled back, hoping that the strain was not too hard for him. He seemed to be well fed; his eyes were liquid topaz with hints of gold.

"Well, we're in for a long drive," Carlisle said, grinning at me, "It's about an hour away without driving our usual speed."

I couldn't help but smile at this statement. Edward had once told me that all of the Cullen's had a 'need for speed' or so to speak. I glanced over at Jasper, suddenly curious about him.

"Jasper?" I said suddenly.

"Yes?" he asked, glancing over at me curiously.

"Forget it, it's nothing," I said quickly, realizing how personal my question was.

"What is it?" he asked, smiling warmly.

I bit my lip, still apprehensive about asking him. I could feel his gift moving about, making me a bit more confident.

"I was just curious… and you don't have to answer if it's uncomfortable," I said quickly, "But… how did you change?"

He knew immediately what I was talking about. Jasper looked up at Carlisle, as if waiting for permission. Carlisle gave an encouraging nod and Jasper looked back at me.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, surprised that I was interested.

I nodded encouragingly; it had been a question that I had been wondering about for ages.

"Well… it was in 1863," he began, his voice steady as if he had gone over this story a thousand times. "I was born and raised in a small town in Georgia. I joined the Confederate Army at the age of 19 and worked my way up to Major by my 20th birthday. I hated the war and everything about it. At the time, I would have given anything to be out of it. That's when I met Maria…"

"Maria?" I asked, confused.

Jasper nodded, deep in thought. "Maria… the vampire who changed me…"

"Oh," I said, growing quiet.

"She was… very pretty… and she would always come to flirt with the officers. She had long, black hair and, at the time, I thought that I was in love with her. That is not the case now of course; it was before I met Alice. Then, one night I was on midnight watch. I… stubbed my toe in the dark and started cussing up a storm."

He chuckled lightly at this, flashing a slight smile at me.

"I don't normally cuss, but at the time I was just so mad at everything. The war, the army, the state of living. I just yelled at the stars about everything that the war was doing for me. Maria came up behind me and offered me a way out. She said that she could… get me out of the army on a special sick leave and that I could stay with her. It was… a dream come true for me. Here there was a pretty girl offering me a way out of the hell I was in. Of course, I took it and she bit me right then and there. I was in pain for a week and the army discharged me to live with her and her family. When I awoke from my painful state, I… I didn't know what to do. I wanted to die, but… some how I knew that was impossible. Maria explained to me what had happened."

Jasper snorted angrily, "As if it was just going to be okay. As if she had not just ruined my life… I… I am ashamed to say that I followed their way of living for a long time… but I always felt guilty after feeding off humans… and I could not understand why. Maria and I began to fight all the time and I realized what a viper she truly was. I began to go off in search of something more… that's when I met Alice, the true love of my life."

"And the Cullen's?" I asked, fascinated by his story.

"Later on, yes," he continued. "After I spent a couple years with Alice, we met up with the Cullen's and they were good enough to take me in…"

"We're lucky to have you," Carlisle said, speaking for the first time.

Jasper smiled and put a hand on Carlisle's shoulder. Carlisle took one hand off the wheel to pat his hand. I smiled at this loving exchange, happy to be there to witness it.

"And the rest, as they say, is history." Jasper said, "I never saw Maria again after that…"

"Do you… ever miss her?" I asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, "No, even when she was charming me I always sensed an inner evil in her. She was the kind of person that always had an ulterior motive to everything she did. I don't regret being changed though; if I hadn't I would have never met Alice."

Carlisle pulled onto a small dirt road. I looked up surprised that we had arrived so quickly.

"Has it really been an hour?" I asked.

Carlisle grinned sheepishly, "I guess I couldn't resist going a little faster than the speed limit."

Jasper chuckled and the three of us stepped out of the car. I could see the clearing where Billy and Jacob were to meet us. Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Bella… you can wait in the car if you'd like…"

"No," I said, feeling a sudden wave of confidence. "Let's just do this…"


	8. The Meeting

**The Meeting**

We didn't have long to wait before I saw Jacob's Rabbit pull up. I watched as he helped Billy into his wheelchair, debating whether or not I should go and help. Carlisle squeezed my shoulder gently, as if sensing my distress over the whole situation. They approached us slowly and for the moment, there was an awkward silence. It was a classic gunslinger moment. On one side, there were the vampires and on the other were the werewolves and then there was me. Stuck in the middle as if I was the cause of this duel.

"William, it's been too long," Carlisle said, as if addressing an old friend.

Billy frowned and Jacob's hands tightened into fists. Jasper must have been working hard to keep them from being violent; his forehead was lined with concentration.

"Not long enough," Billy retorted. "What part of the treaty needs discussing?"

"Well, as per the treaty we are to let you know when visitors like us are to be arriving. We have family of sorts from Alaska coming to visit."

"Oh?"

Carlisle nodded warmly, his smile glued on his face. "Yes, just some old friends who hunt animals like us. They should cause no trouble while they are here. If they do, you can hold me personally responsible."

"Oh, I intend to," Billy said, his face darkening, "But I have a question for you as well?"

"Ask away," Carlisle said, although the surprise was clear in his voice.

"Do you intend on biting Bella?"

My mouth dropped open in shock. My eyes flew to Jacob who looked away, uncomfortable.

"I fail to see how that is any of your business!" I said angrily.

"Bella," Carlisle said, his voice warning me to be quiet.

He turned to address Billy again, his face serious.

"Unfortunately there are some events that have happened recently that have made us think that it would be safer for her to become one of us… however that decision has not been finalized. I know full well that it is under the treaty for us not to… uh… bite a human, but circumstances being as they are---"

"I don't care what the circumstances are," Billy said, his face reddening with anger. "If you break this treaty, Cullen, you will bear the consequences!"

I looked over at Jasper, worried that the rush of emotions would be too much for him. He glanced back at me, giving me a comforting smile.

"I understand." Carlisle said, obviously seeing that it was better to agree and finish this meeting than to irritate them any further. "Any other questions?"

Jacob looked at me and opened his mouth, but then shut it, turning his head away. Billy merely shook his head and continued to glare stonily at Carlisle.

"Well then, I don't see any reason for loitering around," Carlisle said pleasantly. "Come Jasper, Bella."

Jasper turned to follow Carlisle, but I stayed behind. I watched as Billy rolled towards the car. Jacob simply stared at me.

"Jacob?" I asked, tentatively.

"What do you want?" he said coolly.

"I miss you," I said earnestly. "You promised that you'd be my friend no matter who my friends are."

"Things change—"

"So that just gives you the go ahead to break promises?" I asked angrily.

"I'm not breaking any promises," he said angrily, "Your little bloodsucker boyfriend probably wouldn't want you hanging around me anyways!"

"Jake, come on!" I said angrily, "It's not even about that is it? Look I am sorry I couldn't feel the same way towards you that you felt about me, okay? I told you that from the beginning!"

"Whatever," he said, turning away.

I ran up and grabbed his hand, astonished at the heat of it. It seemed to have gotten hotter since the last time I had touched him.

"Look, I'm not giving up on our friendship! It means more to me than that!"

Jacob looked at me, his eyes filled with longing. I knew he wanted it to, I just knew it.

"Jacob!"

His eyes flitted to Billy, and then turned cold as he faced me again.

"Good-bye, Bella."

He walked off to help Billy into the car. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Brushing them away angrily, I stalked back to the car where Carlisle and Jasper were waiting on me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Jasper asked, clearly feeling my pain.

"I'm fine," I said shortly, climbing into the car.

The ride home was quiet, which suited me just fine. I stared out the window, angry at the world for making my best friend the enemy species of the love of my life. It was just wrong on so many levels. Why should they be forced to hate each other? Simply because of what they are instead of who they are? I angrily fought back tears at the pain this brought to me. How could a person choose between their best friend and the man they love? It just wasn't fair. It took me a few minutes to realize that we had arrived back at the Cullen's place. Jasper glanced over at me concerned and I flashed him a half-hearted smile. I could see the rest of the family waiting for us in front of the house. Stepping out of the car, I brushed my hair out of my face and attempted to put on a happy face.

"It went rather well," Carlisle said, "Rather quickly as well."

He filled them in on the meeting as I stared at the ground, pushing a rock around with my foot.

"Bella?"

I looked up at Edward, his eyes filled with concern. He opened his arms to me and I gladly accepted, wrapping myself into a hug, allowing the tears to flow freely.

"I'm sorry… if it's any consolation he does want to be friends with you… more than friends actually," he said, his voice bitter. "He's just to shallow and self-absorbed to—"

"Edward, please…" I sobbed, "I just really don't want to talk about it."

"I know, I'm sorry…" he said, stroking my hair. "I'm sorry…"

We stood there for a few minutes, lost in our thoughts. The rest of the family had gone in the house, probably to give us some privacy. I sighed, pulling away to look him in the eyes.

"I know you don't like him, Edward," I said, "But… when you were gone he just helped me out so much… and I know that if you two had met on a separate occasion—"

"And not have been mortal enemies at transformation," he said, grinning half-heartedly.

"That you two really would like each other! You two have more in common then you know! He's really into automotives too, you know, and—"

"We share an admiration of you," Edward said, wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger.

My heart started thumping as he twisted my hair around.

"Well… yes I suppose…"

Edward laughed and placed his forehead against mine, his sweet breath blowing into my face.

"Don't worry; I get your point…"

I chuckled and he pressed his lips against my head.

"You should get some rest though, the Denali's will be here tomorrow already, and they will most definitely want to meet you."

I swallowed, trying not to show my nervousness. Surely if they were 'vegetarians' like the Cullen's they couldn't that bad…


	9. Eleazar and Carmen

**Authors Note: **I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer or her glorious characters or books. However, as stated before, in order to keep my stories as 'Stephenie Meyer-ish' as possible I am using her information for the Denali's. This is taken directly from the Twilight Lexicon so I do not claim it at all!

"The Denali coven keeps getting cut out of the story. For the record, they are Tanya, Kate (Katrina) and Irina–originally Slavic, and they think of themselves as sisters, though they are not biologically so. They are all almost a thousand years old. It was just the three of them for many centuries, and then Carmen and Eleazar joined them, attracted by their peaceful lifestyle. Tanya, Kate, and Irina had an interesting path that led them to "vegetarianism": they are the originals behind the myths of the succubus. Their fondness for human men eventually led them to feel remorse for their victims, and they slowly trained themselves to resist human blood. They still like men, though. Kate and Eleazar are "talented" like Edward and Alice, but I'm not saying more than that. (Tanya gets a brief cameo in my Twilight-from-Edward's-perspective). Eleazar is a man. He and Carmen (his true love) are both Spanish, only three to four hundred years old, and they joined the succubus sisters later on. Eleazar has quite a history, which, right now, only shows up in Forever Dawn."

Therefore, this is the information that I know and so these characters and parts of their history and such are Stephenie Meyer's and not mine. Websites I recommend for information are www . stepheniemeyer . com and www . twilightlexicon . com which are both amazing! Note: Octavia is mine; I lay claim to her :-P hehe! She will be introduced in the next chapter. Oh! In addition, for those that don't know (courtesy of dictionary . com)

Succubus - a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men

I would like to extend a personal thank you to all those who reviewed my story. It is much appreciated! Ok without further ado, here it is!

* * *

**Eleazar and Carmen**

I squirmed slightly on the couch next to Edward. Alice had finally forgiven me, but with a catch of course. She forced me to wear a pale blue sundress that she had bought that didn't quite fit her as well as she liked. It fit me perfectly, thus the predicament I as in. Dresses were always awkward for me, but I didn't exactly hate them. I was just more comfortable in my blue jeans. Not to mention it was a little too low cut for my taste.

"You look gorgeous," Edward whispered in my ear, his silky voice seductive as always. "Good enough to eat…"

"Then bite me," I couldn't help retorting. The circumstances were making a little anxious, therefore a bit grouchy. I frowned as he held back a laugh, sensing my distress.

"Marry me first," he shot back, his golden topaz eyes sparkling.

Marry me. The words caused my hear to flutter every time I heard it. I knew it was impossible to even think about, but lately it had been growing on me. I found myself writing Mrs. Edward Cullen on my papers at school, just to see how it would look. Even while simply shopping with Alice I'd find myself glancing at the wedding dresses in store windows. It was complete and utter madness. I forced a weak smile at Edward, not wanting to break his happy mood. He was so excited at seeing the Denali's again, as was the rest of the family.

"So, when are they coming?" I asked, changing the subject.

He played with my hand absent-mindedly, which shot my heart rate up. I struggled to keep my mind from wandering.

"Well, Eleazar and his wife Carmen are flying, but the sisters are running. They insist on it, Kate doesn't enjoy planes. So Eleazar and Carmen should be here any minute, but we don't know about the girls…" his voice trailed off.

I nodded, staring down at my feet. Edward stared at me and gave me one of his heart-stopping smiles.

"They'll love you, don't worry…"

I smiled weakly. I had heard that expression before. Like when Jessica had first introduced me to Lauren.

"Oh trust me, she'll love you to pieces," she had gushed. Yeah right.

Alice pranced into the room, spinning around happily.

"Carmen and Eleazar are here!" she announced.

Jasper followed her in, laughing.

"There almost here, actually. Basically when we walk outside they'll be pulling up."

Alice smiled and gave Jasper a quick kiss on the cheek. He followed her out of the room, an adoring smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile at their love; it was different than any I had ever witnessed. Edward rose out of his seat and extended his hand to help me up.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded and took his hand. Grinning, he pulled a little harder than I expected and I toppled against him.

"Hey!" I said in surprise.

Edward grinned mischievously and pressed me in close to him. I was aware of every contour in his body as he held me ever closer. He brought his mouth down towards my ear, to kiss the skin just underneath it. I felt my face burn up as he nuzzled my neck.

"Edward," I said, blushing furiously, "They'll be here any minute…"

He merely continued to trail his lips down my neck, towards my low neckline. I pushed back at him modestly, although secretly enjoying every minute of it.

"Edward Cullen!" I said, startled at his sudden boldness. "What brought all this on?"

He stopped to look back at me, his eyes shining oddly.

"I just keep remembering how beautiful you are… and what an idiot I was for leaving you…how I could I have left, knowing that I would miss all of this?"

He gestured to my body and me. The heat from my face, which had just begun to fade, came back with a vengeance. He pulled me in again and my heart began to race. Even before his lips got close to mine, I began to feel dizzy. Running his fingers my hair; he pulled my face closer to his, his lips suddenly urgent against mine. I kissed back eagerly, forgetting my own self-control. I grabbed his back, pulling him towards me. Too soon, it was over as he pushed me away gently. He was breathing heavily, his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," he said, instantly repentant.

"I'm not," I said, all too aware of the goofy grin I had on my face.

"Hey are you guys coming?" I heard Emmett call from outside. "They just pulled up!"

Edward extended his arm, which I took awkwardly. I wasn't used to be escorted in such an old-fashioned way. We walked outside just in time to see them get out of the rental car they were driving. I made sure to lock my jaw in order to keep it from dropping.

Carmen was the first person I noticed. Her hair was long and black and her skin had a darker tint to it then the Cullen's. Her form reminded me of Alice's, lean and like that of a dancer. I was surprised to see that she was undoubtedly of Spanish descent, like her husband. Eleazar was undeniably handsome. His hair was also black, but much shorter. It fell just below his ears and danced around his thick black eyebrows. His skin was also a bit darker, but he was built much stronger than his wife was.

"Buenos Tardes!" Eleazar called out. He had a slight Spanish accent, but not one that was not understandable. "Carlisle!"

Carlisle and Eleazar embraced like that of brothers. Carmen and Esme exchanged kisses on alternating cheeks. I smiled shyly; they seemed nice enough.

"The ladies are coming soon enough," Carmen said, taking Esme's hands in hers, "So we shall spend out time with you until they take you away!"

Esme laughed and gave Carmen's hands a squeeze. Eleazar and Carmen made their ways around exchanging hugs with the rest of the family, before coming around to Edward and me.

"Eduardo!" Eleazar said, pulling Edward into a rough hug. "It's been too long!"

"Indeed," Edward said, grinning broadly. "How is Alaska?"

"Cold," Carmen said, squeezing in between the two to embrace Edward. "It is much warmer here."

She then turned to glance curiously at me. I swallowed hard, looking into her topaz eyes.

"Ah," she said, as if suddenly recognizing me, or perhaps my scent. "A human… your own personal demon?"

I glanced startled at Edward for an explanation. He immediately looked abashed.

"No… not anymore!" he assured her, "I didn't realize it at the time…"

He rubbed his neck awkwardly, grinning sheepishly at me. I realized then that he was talking about when he first met me. When my smell was… overbearing and he fled to the Denali's in Alaska. I smiled back at him, reassuring him that I was not angry at the personal demon reference.

Carmen merely smiled, "Well good. She is far too pretty to be a demon, even though she does smell very good."

I blushed and straightened my dress, wishing that my blush was not so fervent.

"I am Carmen," she said, breaking the ice as she extended her hand.

"I'm Bella," I said, grateful for the distraction. I took her ice-cold hand, smiling. I liked her already.

"And I am Eleazar," he said, with a bow.

Taking my hand, he looked stared into my eyes, as if searching for something. I felt as if he was examining my very soul.

"Strange… very strange…" he said, almost to himself.

Carmen looked between Eleazar and me. She too seemed confused.

"Eleazar has a gift as well," Edward explained to me, "Simply by touching you he can see the kind of person you are. The things that you have done, good or bad. Staring into the soul, he calls it. He reads your mind to find these things though."

Edward laughed and nudged Eleazar, "Find anything?"

Eleazar shook his head, still holding my hand. "Do you have a soul?"

I was startled by the question.

"I… I don't know…" I said, unsure of how to answer.

Edward frowned, "Of course she does!" he said, indignant. "But Bella has a gift as well—"

"But she's human!" Eleazar said, turning to stare at Edward.

"Yes but…" Edward shrugged, "Her mind is closed... even to me…"

"You cannot read her mind?"

Edward shook his head, putting an arm around me. Eleazar dropped my hand and looked at Carmen with a smile.

"How refreshing! I may actually be able to talk to someone without knowing his or her character first! Extraordinary! I may have to study this, with your permission of course."

Carmen laughed and took her husband's arm, "Eleazar is something of a scholar."

I nodded eagerly, "Oh if you could find out why I'm like this that would be amazing!"

Eleazar flashed a dazzling smile at me. "I may not know why, but I shall see what the limits are. You are a very interesting person, Bella. I look forward to getting to know you."

I smiled back and turned to Edward. He smiled back, pulling me next to him.

"Rosalie!" Carmen said, her attention taken from us. She rushed over to discuss something with Rosalie while Eleazar walked over to talk to Jasper and Alice.

"They like you already." He said, grinning at me.

I smiled back and looked towards the driveway, eager to meet the sisters.


	10. Succubus Sisters

**Authors Note: **As stated before, in order to keep my stories as 'Stephenie Meyer-ish' as possible I am using her information for the Denali's. This is taken directly from the Twilight Lexicon so I do not claim it at all!

"The Denali coven keeps getting cut out of the story. For the record, they are Tanya, Kate (Katrina) and Irina–originally Slavic, and they think of themselves as sisters, though they are not biologically so. They are all almost a thousand years old. It was just the three of them for many centuries, and then Carmen and Eleazar joined them, attracted by their peaceful lifestyle. Tanya, Kate, and Irina had an interesting path that led them to "vegetarianism": they are the originals behind the myths of the succubus. Their fondness for human men eventually led them to feel remorse for their victims, and they slowly trained themselves to resist human blood. They still like men, though. Kate and Eleazar are "talented" like Edward and Alice, but I'm not saying more than that. (Tanya gets a brief cameo in my Twilight-from-Edward's-perspective). Eleazar is a man. He and Carmen (his true love) are both Spanish, only three to four hundred years old, and they joined the succubus sisters later on. Eleazar has quite a history, which, right now, only shows up in Forever Dawn."

Therefore, this is the information that I know and so these characters and parts of their history and such are Stephenie Meyer's and not mine. Websites I recommend for information are www . stepheniemeyer . com and www . twilightlexicon . com which are both amazing! Note: Octavia is mine; I lay claim to her :-P hehe!

Succubus - a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men

Ok the above was from the page before as many of you may have noticed. It simply applied here as well so I reposted it. Thanks again for all the review and now… on with the show!!!

P.S. Happy Birthday Edward!!! (June 20th is his birthday ;) )

* * *

**Succubus Sisters**

I turned quickly at a flash of white coming from the forest next to the house. My eyes widened in surprise. At first, I thought it was Victoria, but then I noticed that the hair was a darker shade of red. It was cut about shoulder length and it was very curly.

"Irina," Edward whispered to me, "The rest will be soon to follow; she's always first."

"Cullens!" she said, appearing in front of us with a flash of white. I couldn't help but notice that her skin was… different. It reminded me of the Volturi in the way that it seemed fragile, but it was more powdery looking, rather than papery. Irina held her head up, smiling. She sniffed the air delicately and her eyes flew down to me.

"Ah… Edward's human, I presume?"

Edward nodded, putting a protective arm around me. I shivered slightly, though not because of the coldness of his arm. Irina merely smiled at me, her teeth flashing.

"Fear not, my sisters and I prefer men…" she said, laughing hauntingly. "Although you do smell appetizing…"

"Oh don't frighten the poor girl!"

I whipped my head around to see the newcomer. This vampire was taller and skinnier than Irina was, but with the same powdery skin. Her hair was straight and golden blonde, clashing attractively with her golden eyes. She smiled kindly at me, extending a hand.

"I'm Katrina, but please call me Kate." She said with a smile.

I took her hand, shocked to find that her skin even felt powdery. I glanced at my hand to see if anything had come off.

Kate had turned back to Irina, frowning. "Irina, seriously, you just met her!

Irina shrugged, "I couldn't resist, dear sister. Do not worry, dear, we have not had a human for lunch in ages. No doubt the temptations are there though…"

She flashed a wicked grin and winked at Edward, who stiffened up slightly.

"But we won't feed on your men here don't worry," she said, although it seemed to be directed at Edward more than me.

"Kate?" I heard Alice call.

"Ally, it's been too long!" Kate said, running over to her.

"Kate's always been like an aunt to Alice, they have a lot in common," Edward said.

Irina had left to make her rounds as well. Everyone seemed so happy that it only felt natural to feel the happiness as well.

"Men?" I asked, confused.

Carmen walked over to us, smiling at the arrival of the Kate and Irina.

"Have you heard the legend of the succubus?"

I shook my head; although I had read the word in my books, I didn't know exactly what it meant.

"A succubus is a female demon," Eleazar said, intertwining his arm around Carmen. "Legend has it, that these demons take the form of seducing men into having…er… sexual intercourse in order to sustain life… The sisters are responsible for that legend. Along with the legend of the siren as well, although I must say Kate started that one."

"How old are they?" I asked, surprisingly awed.

"Literally? Roughly a thousand years old, give or take," Carmen answered.

As the two of them strolled off for a tour of the mansion, I sat and pondered on the information I had just received. Something was bothering me about the sisters, though I couldn't put my finger on it.

Edward frowned, "Where's Tanya?"

"She's… hunting," Kate said with a quick glance at Irina. Irina nodded vigorously.

Edward frowned and appeared to be reading their thoughts. He frowned; I figured that they must have been evading him by thinking of other things, as Alice told me she often did.

"Bella… excuse me for just a moment…," he said, rushing over to interrogate a guilty looking Kate.

I looked over at him, confused, but another visitor immediately interrupted me.

"You must be Bella?"

I turned in relief to look at the newest sister. Immediately, I felt that I knew her. She had a more motherly look then the other two, clearly the oldest biologically. Her hair was dark brown and wavy. She reminded me a lot of Esme. It was also nice to not be referred to as 'the human'.

"Yes, I am," I said, happy to be acknowledged by my name.

She nodded understandably, "My sisters had their doubts about you and your love for Edward, but I see now that he made a good choice."

I flushed with pleasure, happy that at least someone thought that Edward wasn't out of his mind.

"I'm Tanya," she continued, "You're met my sisters of course and our family… well… most of them."

I looked around confused. Edward had only said that there were five, not six. Edward was walking back to me as this was being spoken.

"Who's coming?" he asked, clearly angry that he hadn't been able to get any information out of the other two sisters.

Tanya waved a hand towards the forest. A few moments passed and a young woman flew into view. She was beautiful, even more so than Rosalie. Her hair was shoulder-length, light brown with streaks of gold in it. I looked over at Edward, who was looking paler than normal.

"Octavia?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

He took a few steps forward. I moved to follow him only to find that the girl was already there.

"Edward!" she shrieked, her voice silken honey.

The two embraced each other eagerly and I felt my heart stop beating.


	11. A New Vampire

**Authors Note: **All right, I will admit that cliffhanger was a little evil. So allow me to clear something up before people kill me:

Octavia is NOT an ex-girlfriend of Edward's. No offense, but how cliché would that be? Nah that has been done waaaay too many times before for my taste.

Okay, with that out of the way, the rest you will have to figure out about her. It would be silly for me to give away all the details about my vampire. Furthermore, I'd like to give a shout out to some of my favorite reviewers (who have reviewed more than once):

epona04 – I thoroughly enjoy your comments and I hope that you are enjoying the story!

Nayame – Thank you for reviewing and for your excellent questions and comments.

Bella07 – Your comments made me chuckle but in a good way :)

AmyGirl23 – I look forward to your future reviews!

And last but not least!

Teak (from the Lexicon) – I appreciate all of your pms and that you've been keeping up with the story! Thanks for reviewing!

And to all the other reviewers who are not mentioned: Thank you so much for encouraging me to continue.

Happy Birthday Edward!!! (Officially ;-) )

clears throat let us continue then…

* * *

**A New Vampire**

I had always prided myself on being a rational person. I could assess a situation and figure out a logical way to deal with it.

I was not thinking rationally at this moment.

Pure hatred flowed through my veins. Jealously. It was like a poison, seeping through my mind, more fervent than I had ever experienced. I wanted to leap at her and rip her throat out. My surprise at this intense loathing is probably what kept me from attacking her. That and the fact that she would probably kill me on the spot without any effort. The two of them let go of each other and stared at each other, surprise evident on their faces.

"How did--?" Edward began.

"This is—" Octavia said.

"Incredible, I know"

"Yeah, exactly!"

I was disgusted. It must have shown on my face, because Jasper was by my side in a moment. He put a hand on my shoulder, calming me down. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be rational about the situation. Surely, Edward would explain.

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes at the sound of my name, forcing a smile on my face.

"Bella, this is Octavia," Edward said, gesturing to her.

"Pleasure to mee—"

Octavia's voice trailed off as a breeze blew my hair around. Clearly, she had caught hold of my scent.

"A human? Edward is it wise to have one of them among us?" she asked, shock covering her voice.

"She's not just any human," Edward said, putting an arm around me. "She's different…"

Octavia looked from my face to Edward's, as if trying to figure out his meaning.

"Very well, I trust you," she said finally.

"Octavia is a very good friend of mine," Edward continued, "During my…er… rebellious times she helped convince me to turn to animals for nourishment. She was a lone vampire at the time."

"I got lonely," Octavia said, shrugging. "I discovered the Denali's during a brief trip to Alaska. They convinced me to travel with them for a while. I've been with them for roughly six months now."

"And we're glad to have her," Tanya said, rejoining us. "She's been such a joy to have." She put an arm around Octavia, squeezing her lightly.

A joy. I couldn't imagine.

"But after Edward rejoined the Cullens, I went on my own again," she said. "I've convinced other vampires to join this lifestyle."

"She's been a real advocate for 'humanizing' vampires," Tanya said, with a chuckle.

I kept the smile frozen on my face. Gee, she was just _so_ perfect. Edward studied my face, as if sensing that I was ill at ease.

"Could you excuse us for a moment?" he said, nodding towards Octavia and Tanya. He clearly read Jasper's thoughts, as Jasper had still not let go of my shoulder.

Octavia looked surprised, but nodded, "Of course, but then we have a lot to catch up on. Don't hog him too long Bella!"

She smiled kindly at me and I could not help but smile back. If we had met on better terms, I was sure that I would have liked her. She was just… likeable. Nevertheless, at the moment I still wanted to murder her.

Edward led me off into the house. We walked slowly to his room and I was dreading the conversation. He walked in and closed the door, turning to face me.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

I could feel the tears welling up, so I turned away from him.

"You should be down with the others," I said, my voice flat, "You have _loads_ to catch up on."

"What?" he asked, clearly catching the implication in my voice. "Do you mean with Octavia?"

"Of course, I mean with her!" I said, turning to face him angrily. "Gee, did you just forget to tell me that you had a female 'best friend'? Or was this something that just slipped your mind? So how long did you two date?"

"We didn't! She's simply a good friend!"

"Yeah, maybe a good friend with benefits!"

I was shocked to find that Edward had pinned me up against the wall. He had done it gently, but roughly all the same. I felt dizzy being so close to his addicting smell.

"She and I did not date! There was never anything between us other than friendship. Octavia is like a sister to me!"

I felt my breath fly out of me. A sister? I looked into his golden eyes, seeing the honesty in them. A _sister_? I suddenly felt stupid. Of course, they would hug if they were close; didn't I hug Emmett whenever he and Rosalie came back from a trip? It made perfect sense… and yet… I couldn't help but feel that she felt more for him than that…

"Oh…"

Edward sighed, still keeping me up against the wall, "Bella…"

The tears were flowing freely now, I had thought of another point. I looked up at him angrily.

"If that's the case then why can't I be friends with Jacob?"

Edward stepped backwards as if I had given him a blow.

"That's… that's different!"

"How so?"

"He's… he's a werewolf… she and I are the same species…"

I was really angry now. I knew it was irrational to react this way, but the jealously and hatred I felt towards Octavia was spilling out in anger towards Edward.

"Oh, I see… if species are the issue than why are you still with me?"

I could see the hurt in his eyes. That was way below the belt, and I knew it. I needed to escape; I need to breathe. I walked towards the doorway, brushing past him as tears flew down my face

"Bella…" his voice cracked as he said my name.

"Don't follow me…" I whispered. "I need… time alone…"

I walked out the back door to avoid confrontation with his family. I had parked my truck a little ways down the road; I had told Charlie that I would drive myself so that Edward could stay later with his family. It would have been hard to explain that Edward needed no vehicle to get me from place to place. As I got in my truck, I let out a sob I had been holding in. I had never been in a fight like this with Edward before. I needed someone to talk to. Someone who wasn't a vampire; someone who wouldn't remind me of him. In a split second decision, I put the key in the ignition and started the truck.

I was going to talk to Jacob.

* * *

P.S. Edward and Bella are not breaking up, I would not do that. Just thought you would all like to know. Please **please** _please_ R&R 


	12. Dangers of the Road

**Authors Note: **Wow, I didn't expect such a big response! Thanks everyone for reviewing! Please continue to R&R! Okay well, now it is time to continue where I left off…

* * *

**Dangers of the Road**

I was roughly twenty miles out of La Push when I began to think normally. I pulled over to the side of the road and laid my head back on the headrest. What was I thinking? Jacob did not want to see me… and it was just a stupid fight after all. Who was this Octavia person to make me jealous? Edward was _my_ boyfriend, not hers. If anything, she would be jealous of me. Not vice versa.

"I'm an idiot," I moaned aloud.

This really was ridiculous. I was getting nowhere running off to my best friend who didn't want anything to do with me. I sighed and put my truck into drive. Maybe I would just visit the beach to clear my head, and then go back to Forks and talk it out with Edward. There was nothing wrong with that… I fiddled with the radio that Emmett had been kind enough to reinstall. I glanced down at it, confused by all the buttons and gadgets. I turned my head to glance back up at the road.

Everything happened as if in slow motion. I saw a woman with red hair standing only a few feet in front of my truck. I slammed on the breaks, thankful that I wasn't up to speed yet. Swerving in order to avoid her, I felt the truck spin on the ground beneath me. The rear of the truck slammed into something, causing my head to bang against window. I flipped back into position, my head throbbing. I had missed the woman, and yet…

Then it dawned on me… I knew the woman…

Victoria.

I felt something jump onto the hood of my truck. I couldn't breathe. Victoria smiled back at me, as if we were old friends coming together again. Her red eyes stared into mine; she slid off the hood and within seconds, opened my door. She ripped the seat belt off and threw me out of the truck. I hit the ground, wincing at the pain. I felt my shoulder pop and I gasped in alarm. Victoria stood over me, enjoying every second of my pain. I couldn't stand the pain any more, I was nearly losing consciousness. Victoria grabbed my good arm, pulling me to my feet.

"Don't worry, Bella dear," she said, her voice eerily pleasant, "I won't torture you like James… I'll keep it short and sweet!"

She leaned in and I braced myself. This was it. Time seemed to freeze. Victoria pulled back and sniffed the air, alarmed.

"Damn," she said, throwing me to the ground.

She took off like a flash of red lightening; leaving me sprawled on the ground. With my last bit of consciousness, I looked up to see five large animals staring down at me. I faded into darkness…

_Beep…_

_Beep…_

_Beep…_

I groaned. My alarm clock had never been this annoying before… It sounded just like a heart monitor…

My eyes flew open in alarm. I sat up quickly, surveying my surroundings. A hospital room? I groaned and lay back down. Charlie was going to kill me…

"Bella?"

I looked up at the sound of my name. Charlie leaned over me, placing a hand on my head. I forced a weak smile.

"Hey, Dad…" I said softly.

"Hey, Kiddo," he said, his voice full of relief.

He didn't seem angry; that was a good start. He sat down on my bed, taking my hand awkwardly.

"What… happened?" I asked, hoping that I wouldn't have to make up a story. My head hurt enough without having to create something myself.

"You were in an accident," he said slowly, as if I'd comprehend it better based on the speed of his voice. "You swerved and hit a tree…"

"How's my truck?" I asked, immediately concerned.

Charlie chuckled, although it was half-heartedly.

"You were just in a horrible accident in which you were nearly killed and you're worried about your truck?" he asked, amazement in his voice.

"I love my truck," I said stubbornly.

He laughed again, shaking his head.

"Your truck is fine, just a really bad dent, and a broken tail light. I don't think a tank could take out that thing."

I nodded, satisfied with the answer. At least it wasn't totaled.

"How did you… find me?" I asked, choosing my words carefully.

"You were extremely lucky," he said, frowning. "Jacob, Sam Uley, and some of their friends were headed to the beach and they saw your truck. They called for help immediately… you're lucky they were headed that way."

"Are they still here?"

"Jacob is… and the Cullens… Edward was _concerned_ when you didn't call later on in the evening." Charlie said, rolling his eyes. He still didn't trust Edward. "I told him that you had been in an accident… he's been waiting in the lobby… Really Bella where were you going? Did something go wrong at the party?"

Uh-oh, the dreaded question…

"No, I was having a good time…" I said slowly, trying to think as quickly as my aching head would let me. "I was just heading over to…"

"Bella?"

"Dr. Cullen," Charlie said, standing. "How is she?"

Saved by the doctor! I flashed Carlisle a grateful smile.

"She has a concussion and a dislocated shoulder, but other than that she's very lucky." Carlisle said, scribbling some notes down.

He began to examine me, which was becoming a rather typical procedure.

"Thank God," Charlie said, sighing in relief. "I should probably call Renee…"

I groaned. I loved my mother to death but that was the last thing I needed right now.

"Well she has a right to know," Charlie said defensively.

"You haven't told her yet?" I asked, amazed.

"Well, I came straight here!" he said sheepishly. "You've only been out for a couple hours and I was in here the whole time."

I looked at Charlie carefully for the first time in a while. He was beginning to get gray hairs in his already light colored hair. I felt guilty causing him so much stress.

"Just one more bump on the head," I said, trying to lighten the situation, "Tell her not to worry, I feel fine…"

Charlie nodded, although I could see that he was dreading the conversation. The moment he exited the room, I grabbed Carlisle's arm.

"What really happened?" I asked, my voice hushed.

He glanced back towards the door, before answering.

"Victoria nearly killed you… the werewolf clan happened to be nearby… but they didn't catch her…"

"They didn't?" I asked, in amazement.

"Victoria knows what she's doing," he explained, "She doesn't act on impulse like James did… this only makes her deadlier…"

"Is… Edward mad at me?" I asked, worriedly.

He sighed and glanced towards the door again.

"You'll have to find out yourself… but we have a bigger problem at the moment…"

"What?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Well, let me put it this way… there are two groups out there waiting to see you and they both hate each other with a passion. If we're lucky the lobby will still be intact…"

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping this was just a bad dream.

"Would you like me to send everyone away?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "The last thing you need is stress…"

"No… send…" I deliberated in my mind. No matter whom I chose, neither side was going to be happy.

"Send Edward… and Jacob in. Together. Or I won't see either one of them."


	13. Werewolves and Vampires

**Authors Note: **Thanks for waiting on me to update everyone! I was unfortunately rather busy this past weekend and I did not have time to even touch my computer! Thank you to everyone that reviewed thus far! It is much appreciated! I'd like to especially thank Naya for the excellent review she sent me! Also to everyone on the Lexicon for reading and reviewing! Okay and now for the much anticipated confrontation!

* * *

**Werewolves and Vampires**

I bit my nails nervously as I waited for the guys to come in. Looking around the room, I noticed disdainfully that everything was white. A little color never hurt anyone. I sighed and leaned back against my pillows, staring wistfully at the ceiling. What was I going to say? What was I going to do? I mentally prepared myself for the conversation. This was not going to be easy. I jumped slightly as the door creaked open.

"Bella!"

Edward raced to my bedside and looked at me with loving concern. I glanced behind him to watch Jacob stalk into the room. He walked around to the other side of my bed, glaring at Edward with hatred. I sighed, this was going to suck. Edward reached down and grabbed my hand, watching Jacob as he did it. I frowned, hating that he was using me to prove a point. Without glancing away from Edward, Jacob reached down and grabbed my other hand.

The effect on me was quite profound. On one hand, was the icy cold hand of the one I loved. On the other, was the incredibly warm hand of my best friend. I could feel Edward's hand tense up as he let out a low growl. Jacob merely cocked an eyebrow, as if inviting Edward to fight right there and now!

"Enough, you two!" I said. Tears burned in my eyes as they both looked down at me in concern. "Do you guys really want to do this to me?"

They were both silent as tears rolled down my face. I looked at both of them defiantly.

"This needs to stop."

"Nothing has to change," Jacob said. "We're going to be enemies, Bella. Accept it."

"No!" I said, angry now.

"You can't have both worlds, Bella," Edward said, his silky voice colder than normal.

"Perhaps not… but then maybe I shouldn't have either."

I felt both hands stiffen in mine. I saw the alarm in Jacob's face and the hurt in Edward's.

"Explain," Edward said softly.

"You two don't have to like each other. Hell, I don't care if you loathe each other. But please… for my sake at least respect each other…"

I turned to Jacob, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. His hair was growing back now, I noticed.

"Jacob… you're my best friend… I don't want to lose you… you promised…"

Jacob looked away guiltily.

"Things change…," he said quietly.

I turned to Edward, shocked at the pain I saw in his eyes. I gave his hand a tight squeeze.

"Edward… I love you more than anything in the world… but does that mean I have to give up my friends for you?"

Edward glared at me, his expression indignant.

"I'm not asking you to give up _all_ your friends…," he muttered.

Jacob started at Edward's implication.

"Just the one who cares the most about her!" he retorted.

"For her safety!" Edward growled back.

"Safety? As if she would be safe with a bloodsucker like yourself."

"I'm in control, you're not."

Jacob frowned and began to shake. I squeezed his hand and glared reproachfully at Edward.

"You guys are acting so juvenile!" I said, crying angrily.

"So what do you propose we do?" Edward said, looking back at me, his expression unreasonable.

"Tolerate each other. You don't even have to see each other. However, I should be allowed to see both of you without it being an issue! And if you two don't agree then…"

"Then what…" Jacob retorted, glaring at me.

"I'll leave…" I said softly. Already a plan was forming in my mind. "Somewhere where you won't ever find me…"

"And what about Victoria?" Edward asked his voice a mixture of hurt and anger. "She'll follow you!"

"So be it…" I said, my voice cracking a little. "If I have to choose between my best friend and my boyfriend perhaps death is the better alternative."

"No!" Jacob said, his voice betraying his concern.

"I won't let you attempt this suicide!" Edward proclaimed, squeezing my hand tightly, "It's ridiculous to even think that!"

"Then do we have an agreement?" I asked daringly. "I can see both of you… without it being a problem…"

"What makes you think I still want you as a friend?" Jacob asked defiantly.

Edward straightened up and let out a snarl. I looked at Jacob with equal defiance.

"If you didn't then why did you bother saving me?" I asked coldly.

I saw both Edward and Jacob wince.

"I… I don't know…" Jacob said.

"Talk to Sam about it…" I suggested, "Ask if he would be okay with it…"

Jacob looked torn. I knew with confidence that he still treasured our friendship; it was just a gut feeling.

"Please…" I pleaded, grasping his hand tighter.

He nodded stiffly, "Alright… I'll talk to him…"

Jacob pulled his hand away and stalked towards the door.

"Wait!"

I looked up in surprise as Edward strode over to Jacob. My heart went into double time as I watched the two of them warily. Jacob stiffened up as Edward approached, his spine shuddering slightly. Hesitantly, Edward extended a hand.

"I owe you my thanks… that's twice now that you've saved her…" Edward said, his voice sincere.

Jacob looked at the hand disdainfully.

"Someone has to do it," he said, his voice dripping with malevolence.

I bit my lip, waiting to see Edward's reaction. I watched as he stiffened up slightly, but kept his hand out. Jacob eyed it and then glanced over at me. I nodded slightly, pleading with my eyes. He unwillingly took Edward's hand and held it firmly. I winced as I watched their hands tighten, as if they were trying to break them. They withdrew their hands quickly, as if disgusted by the very touch. I sighed in relief. At least they hadn't gotten into a fistfight. Edward shut the door tightly as Jacob exited, turning to face me. I had a horrible feeling in my gut that I was in trouble. He walked over slowly, sitting next to me on my bed. I noticed for the first time that his eyes were dark.

"You're thirsty…" I commented, touching his hand gently.

"It's nothing I can't handle…," he said softly, avoiding my eyes.

I swallowed hard, waiting for him to yell at me. When the silence continued, I looked at all the monitors, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Please say something…" I said timidly.

He stayed silent, bringing a hand up to cover his eyes.

"I'm… I'm a failure…"

My jaw almost dropped. This was the last thing that I had expected him to say.

"How do you figure?"

Edward rose up and looked at the ceiling, clearly frustrated with himself.

"I almost lost you! Again! What was I thinking, just letting you go? Then to have to have that… that dog be the one to save you from Victoria? It's almost unbearable!"

Within a second, he was beside me again, his eyes burning into mine. I felt my breath stop as he held my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"And then… seeing you lie there unconscious… Having to wait in the lobby amongst werewolves and knowing that I was indebted to them? I just… Damn't Bella I don't want to lose you!"

My breathing was extremely unsteady and my heart was racing. I had never seen him look at me the way he was doing now. The passionate pain in his eyes was nearly killing me.

"Edward…" I whispered, bringing a hand up to stroke his perfect face. "I'm… sorry… And you are not a failure! It's not your fault that if there is danger in a ten-mile radius it inevitably finds me! You can't keep beating yourself up just because I'm an idiot…"

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes as well, breathing in his heady scent.

"Look…" I said finally, "It's my fault for over reacting…"

Edward sighed, hitting me with his dizzying scent.

"I hated fighting with you…," he admitted, his voice cracking a little.

"Me too… let's not do it again," I said, attempting to lighten the mood.

It worked. Edward laughed and kissed me on the forehead. I quivered as his lips traveled down to mine. My stomach flipped as he pressed himself against me with unusual vehemence. I could distinctly hear the heart monitor begin to speed up as he pulled me to him overpoweringly. My breath came out in gasps as he moved his lips to my neck. I closed my eyes, exhilarated by the effect he had on me. As his lips returned to mine, I couldn't help throwing my eyes around him enthusiastically. I grasped his hair and pulled him closer to me, and for once, he didn't pull away. He leaned into me eagerly, his lips parting slightly. I grabbed his back, hoping that he wouldn't stop kissing me. All too soon, he pulled himself away quickly.

"Bella," he said, his voice strained. "We need to stop…"

I was conceitedly happy to see that I was not the only one who was breathing harder. Edward's breath came out in ragged intervals, as did mine.

"Must we?" I asked weakly.

He chuckled and pushed my hair back out of my face.

"Unfortunately, otherwise I may end up doing something that we'd both regret…"

My heart beat wildly at the implications that his words could mean. Edward merely smiled his heartbreakingly handsome crooked smile and gave me a wink mischievously. My heart pounded and the heart monitor beeped crazily as if to prove it.

"I need to leave… I must hunt if I am not to leave your side." He said, "Will you be alright here?"

I nodded, slightly annoyed that he thought that I could possibly get in an accident in a hospital. He began walking towards the door, much to my disappointment. I laid back against my pillows, pouting slightly. In a flash, Edward returned to kiss me one last time. The heart monitor wailed crazily as I felt my heart skip a few beats.

"Stay safe," he said, smiling at me.

I nodded like a drunken idiot. I was feeling a bit worn out from all of the excitement. Settling back against the pillows, I went over all the excitement in my head, dwelling extra long on my 'conversation' with Edward. The door creaked open again and I looked up, surprised to see Charlie.

"What did Mom say?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Huh?" he asked, clearly distracted, "Oh right… I was supposed to call her…"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. How could he have forgotten so quickly?

"Is something wrong?" I asked, instantly concerned. "You seem distracted…"

Charlie blushed a dark red color. My eyes widened in surprise. I had never seen him blush before, although now it was clear where my blushes came from.

"Dad?" I asked, laughing in surprise. "Seriously, what's up? You're blushing!"

"Am I?" he asked, his blush deepening, "I wouldn't know why…"

"Did I miss something?" I asked, shaking my head in amazement.

"Well…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was going to call Renee… but then I ran into someone in the lobby… we got to talking and uh…"

"Who was it?" I asked, as he trailed off sheepishly.

"Well it was this real fine lady," Charlie said, refusing to meet my eyes. "And well… uh… she's new around here and I… uh… offered to show her around…"

"You have a date?" I asked, shocked.

"Well I wouldn't say a date, per se," he said, his blush still fervent on his face. "I just offered to show her around and everything…"

"What's her name?" I asked, surprisingly excited. It had been too long since Charlie had been on a date.

"Well, she's here visiting from Alaska… her name is Kate Denali," he said, his face brightening at the sound of her name.

My heart felt as if it had fallen into a bottomless whole around the vicinity of my stomach. Kate Denali? My father was going to be dating a vampire!


	14. Charlie's New Girlfriend

**Authors Note: **Thank you all soooooooooooo much for reviewing! I got the most reviews for the last chapter than for any of the others so I was pumped (yes I am a dork alas I have accepted the fact and shall rise above it!). Anyways enough of my blabber mouth on with the show! P.S. Read and Review please!

* * *

**Charlie's New Girlfriend**

Charlie insisted on driving home from the hospital the next morning. I had to stay overnight to be 'monitored' seeing as this was not my first concussion. My truck was still getting the taillight replaced, so I was forced to join him in the police cruiser. At least I was allowed to sit in the front seat.

"So…" Charlie said, his voice signifying the awkward silence between us. "I think you'll really like Kate, she has a fascinating family story. Her and her sisters actually live in the town that their ancestors founded. That's why their last name is the same as where they live! Neat, huh?"

Yeah. Great.

"We've met," I said, rolling my eyes slightly.

"Oh, right…" Charlie said. He must have realized that this was at least the twentieth time I had told him that I knew Kate. "She's what, Edward's aunt?"

Luckily, Alice had coached me on how to answer these kinds of questions.

"Technically she's Car- I mean, Doctor Cullen's half sister," I answered, keeping my sentences short and too the point.

"I see…" Charlie said, shifting uncomfortable in his seat.

There was another long pause.

"So… uh… what do you think of her?"

What, besides the fact that she is a blood-sucking vampire who all but invented the term succubus and siren? Yeah, Charlie, she's a real keeper.

"She… seems nice…" I said, choosing my words carefully.

Charlie seemed relieved by my answer and I could see him visibly relax.

"That's great… so… uh… are you okay with… that is if I… uh… start 'seeing' her."

I tried not to let my face show the alarm I was feeling.

"I thought you were just going to show her around?" I asked, feeling panicky.

"Well… yes, for a start…" he said, "But… hypothetically… if things go well, that is… would you be okay if… I started dating her…"

"I'm not your mother, what do I care?" I burst out.

I stared out the window, trying not to let the tears fall from my eyes. There was a horribly long pause before he answered me.

"Bells… I want you to be comfortable in the place you live…," he said slowly, clearly thinking on his choice of words. "If me dating her would make you feel uncomfortable, than it's not worth it to me…"

I bit my lip, cursing myself. Of course, I would love Charlie to start dating again and of course, it would be good for him to help him get over Renee. But why did it have to be a _vampire_!

"I… I don't mind if you date… Dad," I said slowly, trying to think of something else to say.

"Great," he said, clearly satisfied with my answer. "I mean… we'll have to see how the tour and dinner go, of course…"

Dinner? I grimaced. Yeah, Dad, I hope things go well. Oh, by the way did you know that Kate doesn't eat? Yeah, comes along with the whole 'vampire' thing, but don't worry about it.

"Of course," I said simply, thankful that we were pulling into the driveway. I was ecstatic to see Edward's Volvo parked outside of the house. I really needed to talk to someone about this.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, as we approached.

"Better." I said simply, widening my eyes.

He nodded swiftly, evidently knowing the news.

"Charlie," he said respectfully.

"Hello, Edward," Charlie said, stiffening up a bit. I frowned in his direction, half-tempted to elbow him in the gut. Charlie strolled around us and unlocked the front door to let us in. I rolled my eyes and Edward snuck a quick kiss on my cheek as Charlie's back was turned. I felt my face redden as we entered the house. Edward winked at me as I glared back at him.

"Don't make it too late, Bella," Charlie said, turning back to us. "You just got back from the hospital, you know."

"I know," I said, slightly confused.

"Well, let's get going," Edward said, smiling.

"Okay…" I stuttered, "See you later, Dad…"

Charlie merely grunted as we walked out the door. Edward opened the passenger door and I climbed inside, still confused. As he seated himself in the driver's seat, I looked pointedly at him.

"Well?"

Edward started his car and turned the volume down low. He looked over at me, his golden eyes deep and warm. I felt my heart stutter and I unconsciously fanned myself. He frowned slightly and turned on the air conditioning.

"Are you warm?" he asked, concerned.

"Huh?" I asked, confused. I shook my hand, realizing what I was doing, "Oh, yeah just a little."

He grinned, his eyes smoldering.

"Or is it a different kind of… heat?" he asked seductively.

I had to shake my head in order to think straight.

"Hey, stop it." I argued, "That's not fair!"

"What?" he asked, putting the car in gear and tearing off down the road.

"You know exactly what I mean," I snapped, not in the mood for his antics. "Where are we going?"

"To my place," Edward said, looking over at me. "Didn't Charlie tell you?"

"No, Charlie was busy on another subject," I said pointedly.

"Ah… yes…" Edward said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, I had asked Charlie if it would be alright for you to come over again tonight and meet my 'family' a little more."

I nodded, keeping my eyes focused on the road. I knew that if I glanced over at him I was going to be at lost for any sort of coherent conversation.

"And he was okay with this?"

"Well… I told him that you might want to… get to know Kate a little more…" He said sheepishly.

My head whipped around to look at him. Edward looked as if he were on the verge of laughing.

"It's not funny."

That set him off. Edward laughed while I turned away in anger.

"I'm… I'm sorry," Edward said, his laughter fading away, "It's just… the irony of it… your dad dating a vampire, you dating a vampire… I just hope Phil's not a vampire or I'll have to question the sanity of your entire family."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Phil being a bloodthirsty creature of the night.

"See?" he said, glancing over at me to see if I was mad at him.

"Yeah, I see…" I said grudgingly. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Well… I'll admit the sisters don't have a very good reputation to look back on," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "But… they really are the sweetest people… and I know that Kate would never do anything to hurt your father…"

I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning back in my seat.

"I know… I mean, I don't know but… it's just… weird," I said, trying to explain how I was feeling.

"I know," he said, understanding. "But… they may end up not even liking each other…"

"I wouldn't be so sure," I objected. "Charlie's head over heels…"

Edward laughed again as we pulled into the Cullen's long driveway. I started as I saw Octavia kneeling outside, evidently doing some gardening work.

"She loves gardening," Edward said, following my gaze. "You would like her if you just got to know her a bit…"

"I'm not so sure…" I said, frowning.

"Hey… I'll make you a deal…" Edward said, touching my face, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"You'll change me if I get along with her?" I asked hopefully.

"Not a chance."

"It was worth a shot…"

"My offer still stands…"

"Okay, what's your other offer?"

Edward leaned back, scrutinizing me with this piercing gaze.

"I'll… make an attempt to… accept that Jacob is your friend… if you attempt to befriend Octavia."

I lifted my eyebrows, pondering on what he was offering. I had to admit, it was quite the deal. I would be able to see Jacob then without having to deal with the guilt of having Edward being paranoid about it.

"You'll attempt to get along with him?" I asked carefully.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but," Edward said, closing his eyes. There was a wrinkle forming on his perfect marbled forehead. "Yes."

"Okay… deal." I said, "Do we need to sign this in blood or…"

Edward shook his head, leaning in until his face was inches from mine.

"I think we have an accord without the need for blood…"

"So you don't want my blood?"

"En contraire," he whispered, his lips moving slowly down my neck. "But there's something that I want even more than that right now…"

I flushed at the implication in his voice. We were entering dangerous territory now.

"What would that be?" I asked, my breath coming in spurts.

"Well… among other things," he said, gesturing to the rest of my body with his free hand. "Your hand in marriage…"

I swallowed hard. It was the 'M' word again. Forcing myself to look away, I gently took his hand.

"I'm… I'm still considering it…" I said, biting my lip apprehensively.

Edward sighed and leaned back, much to my sincere disappointment. We both looked away awkwardly. Edward was the one to break the silence.

"Just go talk to her… find out what she's really like…," he said, glancing over at Octavia, who was still busy with the flower garden.

I glanced over at Octavia, apprehension covering every inch of me.

"Right now?"

"No time like the present," he said.

Edward was seated next to me one minute, and the next he was opening my door. He extended a hand, which I took begrudgingly.

"I'm not making any guarantees," I warned as I stepped out of the car.

He jerked my hand, not hard enough to hurt me, but hard enough to make me topple into him.

"You can do it," he whispered, his cool breath tickling my ear.

I shivered slightly. I would never get used to that. In the next moment, Edward disappeared.

"Hey!" I said, frowning angrily. "Don't I get any help?"

I heard his ghostly chuckle as I turned towards the house and towards Octavia. Feeling determined, I began to walk over to her, getting a worse feeling about the situation with every step.


	15. Flowers and Music

**Author's Note: **Once again, I apologize for not getting this out as soon as I could. I've been unfortunately busy and will probably continue to be for a little while so bear with me. A special thanks to all who reviewed and all who keep up with their reviews. I want you all to know that I do take them seriously (and freak out whenever I see I have a new one; yes, I am obsessive). Please continue to tell me what you think! I also apologize that it is rather short; I wrote it rather late so i was a bit tired but I wanted to get another chapter out. The next one will be longer!

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**Flowers and Music**

I walked slowly, feeling as though I were doomed. Naturally, I didn't want to talk to Octavia, not after what had happened. Attempting to be as quiet as possible, I approached her with caution, not knowing what to expect.

"Hello, Bella," she said, her voice deep and musical.

"Hey," I said, realizing that she must have caught my scent.

Octavia continued working as I watched her. Suddenly she straightened up and handed me a purple flower.

"Um… thanks…" I said, confused.

She smiled at me, a deep sadness in her eyes.

"It's a purple hyacinth," she explained, "It's something one gives to another to show that they're sorry…"

I looked at her in surprise. Sorry? For what?

"Bella, I owe you an apology." Octavia continued, looking at me with utmost sincerity. "Please, try to understand that I did not mean for that to happen…"

"For… what?" I asked, confused.

Octavia kneeled down again, filling her hands with the soil. After a few moments, she sighed.

"I… I have a rather strange gift…" she began, her voice sorrowful. "It's not one that I can control…"

"Go on…" I said, twisting the hyacinth in my hands.

"You see… when I get… excited or over-emotional… I affect the people around me," Octavia said, moving her hands as if to pantomime the experience. "Whatever they are feeling that exact moment is amplified. So when Edward was happy to see me it became more than what it looked like…"

"And when I became jealous…" I continued for her, suddenly understanding, "I wasn't in control…"

Octavia nodded sadly.

"Please believe me Bella when I say that I never wanted that to happen. Then when I learned that you were hurt, well… I felt simply awful…," she said, folding her hands in her lap. She looked up at me with earnest, golden eyes. "Please say that you'll forgive me…"

I paused for a moment, before smiling gently, "Well… what's the flower for forgiveness?"

Octavia smiled back, dimpling, "There are several actually. Flowers are extremely complex in their meanings…"

"Really? I always just thought they were nice to look at," I said, feeling foolish.

"Oh no," Octavia said, her face childlike, "There is really a lot to them. More than people know. Gardening as always been a passion for me, much like music. Every flower has a meaning, and I believe that every person has a flower to represent them."

I cocked my head, interested.

"Take the Cullen's for example," she said, gesturing towards the house. "If I had to assign a flower to each of them it would be simple." Octavia began gesturing to various different flowers in the garden, "Carlisle would be an eremurus, which represents endurance, as he has shown all these years. Esme would be a pink carnation, for her mother-like love. Emmett would be a delphinium, which represents 'big-hearted' and 'fun'. Rosalie would be an orchid for her rare beauty. Alice would be yellow jasmine for her grace and elegance. Jasper would be clematis for being so intellectual and Edward…"

She paused, as if deciding what sort of flower he would be.

"Ebony," she decided, "Mysterious as the night…"

I nodded. It seemed fitting.

"What would I be?" I asked, curious.

Octavia examined me carefully, as thought sizing me up.

"A burgundy rose." She said finally, satisfied with the answer.

"How come?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"A burgundy rose symbolizes the beauty within," she said, smiling at me wisely, "I can see that you have much beauty inside you. Edward made a good choice in his human."

I flushed with pride. She was the first one to ever openly approve of my relationship with Edward outside of the Cullen family.

"Thank you," I said, feeling slightly misty eyed.

Octavia smiled, dusting off her hands as she rose up.

"Come. The ladies are entertaining in the foyer. It's a treat to hear Kate sing."

I winced slightly at the name, but rose to follow Octavia indoors, glad to find that she wasn't at all what I expected. That's when I heard it.

It was a heavenly voice, one that simply shook the body. It was crystal clear, and yet filled with all the sorrow in the world. I took a deep breath, drinking it in. The voice was accompanied by a bittersweet piano. Glancing towards the piano, I saw that Edward was accompanying Kate as she sang in a foreign language that I couldn't place. I entered shyly, not wanting to interrupt. Eleazar and Carmen nodded to me warmly and Esme squeezed my shoulder maternally. It was a scene right out of a romance movie. The perfect family listening to a perfect song in a perfect home. How on earth did I remotely even fit into this setting?

I listened as the piano dwindled to an end with Kate holding an impossibly high note that was both sad and yet meaningful. There was a gentle applause that I couldn't help joining in with.

"Come, Edward, let's hear you sing a piece!" Tanya called out.

"That's alright, I'm more of a pianist," Edward protested.

"Nonsense," Irina said, sliding over to the piano to push him playfully on the shoulder. "Come now, we all know you've been working on something."

Edward grinned sheepishly. Alice caught my eye and winked at me. I glanced back at her, confused at the meaning of it. She merely shrugged and snuggled closer to Jasper, who was looking at her with such passion that I felt obligated to look away.

Edward sighed exasperated, frowning at Tanya.

"It's not finished quite yet…," he said.

Bending over the keys, Edward glanced up to catch my eye. My breath became stuck in my throat as I recognized the beginning chords of my lullaby. I closed my eyes, ready and willing to hear Edward's singing voice for the first time.

It was an intoxicating experience, one that I was not ready for.

"_The night's sky is dark without you near_…" he sang, his voice seductive and silky smooth.

The effect it had on me was immediate. Instantly I could feel my blood heating up at the mere sound of his voice. I blushed deeply, knowing that the song was meant for me. Not for Octavia, not for any other girl, but for _me_. Edward looked up and continued singing as he stared into my eyes. I could almost hear my heart as it pounded heavily in my chest. His eyes smoldered from across the room, making me feel as if I could melt straight into the ground. I could feel myself hyperventilating slightly and I resisted the urge to run over and jump into his lap. His voice was a deep tenor-bass, the kind that critics raved over. Too soon, he trailed off, still not breaking his gaze.

"I'm afraid that's all the farther I am so far…," he said, sounding almost ashamed.

"It was beautiful…" I whispered, knowing full well that everyone would hear it.

"Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, concerned.

I was confused until I reached up to touch my cheek, finding that it was wet.

"Oh!" I said in surprise, "It's just… the music was so…"

"Powerful," Octavia finished for me, smiling understandingly. "I know what you mean…"

In the next moment, Edward was at my side.

"Let's go find some privacy," he whispered seductively in my ear.

I shivered, ignoring the goose bumps that were still noticeable on my arms. Edward merely smiled wider, his teeth flashing. As we were walking away, I watched Octavia wink from the piano, where she was sitting down to play. As the first notes were played, Edward was already guiding me up the stairs. I was curious why he suddenly needed to talk to me. As we entered his room, I suddenly found myself anxious and excited. He led me into the room, shutting the door with a sharp click. I turned to face him, wondering what he needed to talk to me about.

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Yikes, bad cliffy I know, but the next chapter will be a treat I promise! (Or at least I hope it will because I sure am looking forward to writing it!) 


	16. Human Instincts

**Author's Note: **Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Thanks also to the support of Twilight Lexiconers who have been great readers. Kudos to you all! Finally thanks to the great Stephenie Meyer who owns these characters (aside from Octavia). Bow to her greatness! bows Again I apologize for not getting this out until now.

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**Human Instincts**

Edward gently took the hyacinth from my hand and bent his head over my neck. I let him take it as he nuzzled my neck lightly. I shivered, feeling my face heat up with anticipation. He walked over and placed the flower on top of a pile of CDs he had sitting near his stereo system. I could still hear the sounds of the piano coming up from downstairs. Apparently, so could Edward who hesitated by his stereo. He raised a hand as if to turn it on, but thought better of it. Smiling, Edward sat down on his black couch and gestured for me to join him. I moved to sit next to him, but instead he pulled me onto his lap.

"Why don't you sit here instead," he said, his eyes glittering wickedly.

I nodded, finding that my tongue had suddenly been paralyzed by his nearness. Edward pushed my hair behind my ear, staring deep into my eyes. I felt my pulse jump even higher as he let his hand drop to behind my neck. It felt cold, and yet oddly burning hot at the same time. Suddenly, he pulled my head in to kiss me.

I tried to hold still as I was supposed to, but I couldn't help leaning eagerly into the kiss. His kisses were so much more passionate than usual, as if he suddenly stopped worrying about the danger it might cause. I sincerely hoped that this was the case. My breathing became erratic as his hand slowly slid down my back near the bottom edge of my shirt. I ran my fingers through his hair, unable to fight the feeling any longer. Edward gripped my back even harder, running his hand back up, causing my shirt to rise slightly. His hand traveled back down and met with the bare skin of my back. I almost gasped at the icy coldness of his hand. I hesitantly parted my lips, hoping to get more into the kiss.

In the next second, I found myself sitting on the black couch alone.

"What the hell?" I said, surprising myself.

I looked around the room to see that the door was open and that Edward was nowhere to be seen. Catching my breath, I heaved a sigh. Would I ever be able to make out with him without him having to run off or stop?

Blushing at the thought, I looked up to see Irina walk in. I stood up, my face burning hot.

"Well, you gave us quite a start." She said, chuckling slightly.

I frowned in confusion.

"Edward just flew out of here a second ago. Of course, Alice saw it coming but not in time to warn the rest of us that's for sure. There downstairs discussing it, so I decided to sneak up here for a chat."

She looked at me questioningly and I looked away, feeling guilty. I had pushed him to his limit. It had been so long since he had actually had to run away because of me.

"What I don't understand," she said, walking over to look at Edward's music collection. "Is why he doesn't just change you. It would make life so much easier on him and his family. So why not convince him?"

"I've tried," I said, finally finding my tongue back. "His price is just a bit high for me…"

"His price?" she asked, raising a dark eyebrow in confusion.

"He wants me to marry him first," I explained, glancing away shyly.

"Ah…" Irina said, her grin widening, "Edward wants a commitment from you first…"

"Yeah," I said glumly.

"How so very like him," she said flippantly. "He wants to know that you are completely his before he changes you into a monster."

She laughed harshly at the word monster. Clearly she didn't believe that being a vampire made one a monster at all.

"And you are just going to let him get his way?" she asked, turning to face me head on.

Staring at her, I realized that she was right. I was letting Edward have the last say in everything.

"It's not that easy," I said, struggling to defend my case. "Edward has this… power over me…"

"Love?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe you have the same power over him as he has over you?"

It hadn't ever occurred to me. Edward had so much more going for him. His looks, his voice, his eyes; how could I compare with anything like that?

"You see," she said, triumphantly. "Why do you think he had to run out of here? You were close to making him crack. I believe, subconsciously that is, that he _wants_ to change you."

"Yeah right" I couldn't help retorting, "If it were up to him I would grow old and wrinkly."

Irina burst into laughter and reached over to ruffle my hair a bit.

"You remind me of a much younger me. Stubborn until the end. But think about what I said, it might surprise you…"

"That's enough, Irina."

I looked around Irina to see that Edward had returned, his hair pushed back from his run. He strode forward and glared at Irina so fiercely, I thought that Irina would back down.

"Oh, pssh," she said, as if Edward were merely a grumpy two-year old. "You are so serious, lighten up a bit."

With a final wink at me, Irina disappeared through the door. Edward strode over to the door and shut it with a bang.

"Whatever plans Irina conjured up with you don't even bother trying," he said his voice angry.

"Excuse me?" I asked angrily. I still wasn't happy that he had left for so long without so much as a goodbye. "I'm not the one who ran out of here, okay?"

I stood up, planning to stroll angrily out of the door only to have Edward grab me and pin me against the wall. My breath caught in my throat.

"Is this what you want?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, "You want to push me into biting you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, struggling to escape.

He released me and brushed a hand through his hair angrily. After a few deep breaths, he looked at me, his expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I overreacted," he said, his voice sorrowful. "I'm not mad or upset at you, how could I be? I'm just angry at myself for not being strong enough…"

"Please don't," I pleaded, not wanting to hear the sorrow in his voice.

"Bella," he said, looking down at me, one hand stroking my face. "You deserve so much more than I can offer. I can't even be… intimate with you without constantly wanting to bite you…"

"Than just do it," I whispered. "Just change me…"

"It's not that simple," he replied, ripping his hand away from my face and turning away in frustration. "Part of me wants to, but that part is a monster and don't you ever forget that! Do you want me to kill you? Is that what you really want?"

I felt tears burn my skin as they poured down from my eyes. Edward turned back to look at me, his demeanor pained.

"No," I said, "I just want you to change me… I just want to be with you for eternity and beyond that if you'll have me…"

Edward looked away and for a brief moment, I thought I saw resentment in his eyes.

"Come on," he said, extending a hand to me. "It's time I get you home…"

I hesitated, looking at his hand, worried that I had lost a part of Edward that I wouldn't be able to get back. Ignoring his hand, I wrapped him up in a hug and sobbed on his chest. He pressed his face into my hair.

"Bella, I'm sorry," he said, his voice remorseful. "I'm such a brute sometimes and I forget that words can hurt. Please forgive me…"

I nodded, unable to speak and for the moment, we held each other.

"I love you," he whispered simply.

"I love you too," I whispered back, wishing that it could be that simple.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

School had gone by quickly the next day and the next thing I knew I was at home watching a movie with Edward. I glanced at the clock, worried.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Well… Charlie was supposed to be home an hour ago…"

Tonight was Charlie's 'big date' with Kate. Despite Edward's reassurances that Kate would be on her best behavior, I couldn't help but believe that that was not the case. In a chance to see me later, Edward had offered to drive Kate to my house and then drive her home after the date. Charlie had grudgingly agreed after Kate had gushed at what a splendid idea it was.

"Do you want to check on them?" Edward asked. "They just pulled in…"

I rushed over to the window, only to be caught around the middle by Edward.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Bella, you are extremely conspicuous." He said, rolling his eyes. "You can't just fly open the blinds and expect them not to see you, you need to be sneakier about it."

Edward tugged on the blinds, just enough to be able to peek outside. I nodded grudgingly at him and peered out.

"See they're just talking," Edward said triumphantly.

I wasn't so sure. Granted, Charlie did look happier than he had in ages, I couldn't help remembering what Eleazar and Carmen had said about the sisters once being succubae.

"Please, Kate wouldn't do anything to put Char…"

Edward's voice trailed off as Kate and Charlie reached the door. Kate reached up and stroked Charlie's cheek, pulling his head down to kiss her. I felt Edward grab me and pull me back to the couch just as the door opened.

"Hey guys," Charlie said, his face slightly flushed, but happy.

"Hello Charlie," Edward said pleasantly. "Have a good time?"

I could hear the double meaning in his question as he looked at Kate.

Kate merely grinned, staring up at Charlie happily.

"_I_ had a fabulous time."

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Ah such a random ending! What fun! Well, you all know the drill, read and review and then read and review again! 


	17. Ranting

**Author's Note: **Much love to my reviewers! Without you people, I would probably not even have the drive to keep writing this. Please read, review, and for those of you who haven't reviewed but enjoy my story PLEASE REVIEW!! YOUR OPINIONS MATTER TO A SHALLOW AUTHOR LIKE MYSELF!!!!sighs in relief now that I got that out of my system…

Oh and a special thanks to Teak on the Lexicon for keeping up with my story and reviewing every single chapter! Yay you!

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**Ranting**

"Bella, please sit down…"

"No! I will not sit down!" I said, pacing the floors of my bedroom.

It was roughly one in the morning and I was still up talking to Edward about the danger that Charlie was putting himself in.

"Does she even care?" I asked, quickening my steps in frustration. Edward merely stared at me from his seat on the old rocking chair from my childhood days. "Does she even realize the problems this could cause!?"

"I do admit, this does cause a few issues for us to sort out…" Edward said, rubbing his neck in an awkward manner.

"A few issues?!" I couldn't help shrieking. I paused and waited for the sound of Charlie's snore. After hearing it, I whipped around to face Edward head on.

"Oh I can think of more than a few."

"Bella…"

"One." I said, sticking out a finger to quiet him. "She's not only a vampire but a succubus—"

"Former succubus, Bella—"

"Two." I continued as if he hadn't spoken, "This causes issues of Charlie finding out that not only is she a vampire but that I'm currently dating one as well!"

"He's not going to find—"

"Three, he'll be in constant danger! She could bite him at any second!"

Edward cut in, his voice sounding a bit angry, "You know, you're always in danger from me too!"

"That's different and you know it!" I answered back. "Oh, and what about the fact that she'll break his heart when she leaves?"

"What if they don't leave?"

"They better if they know what's good for them!" I answered back, alarmed at the prospect that they might be staying. "And the fact that she doesn't even care about him just makes it—"

"How do you know she doesn't care?"

"Please, Edward, you know how they think of men and humans for that matter."

Edward merely looked at me as I continued to pace the floors, only slightly careful enough to keep my steps quiet.

"That's my main concern though," I said angrily, "Is that she is simply going to hurt him! Maybe not by biting him but by breaking his heart and he has had enough of that. He wasn't even completely over Renee before she decided to stroll right into his life. I mean what the heck is she—"

The next thing I knew I was in a passionate kiss with Edward, his cold lips burning mine. I instantly forgot what I was ranting about and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. As he pulled away, he smiled his breathtaking, crooked smile.

"You're amazingly beautiful when you're mad," he said, his voice silky smooth.

"D…don't try to change the subject," I managed to choke out, my head still spinning.

He sighed and ran his mouth up and down my jaw line. I felt my heart rate speed up and my breathing become ragged.

"Come on, do we really need to worry about this now?" he said, his lips gently rubbing against my ear.

I shivered, knowing that he had beaten me once again.

"I guess not…" I grumbled unwillingly. "But there is one more thing…"

"What's that?" he asked, his hand rubbing my back in a very distracting manner.

I pulled away and sat on my bed, mainly to clear my head.

"Billy."

Edward froze, and then nodded understandingly.

"Yes… that does pose a problem…"

Sighing, I leaned forward to rest my head on my hands. Edward sat cross-legged in front of my feet.

"Charlie is going to want to introduce Kate to Billy…"

Edward nodded, taking one of my feet into his hand. He began to rub it, his cold hands feeling surprisingly good on my feet.

"I don't doubt it," he said, "The do—I mean wolves are going to be quite upset to hear that Charlie is seeing a vampire…"

I nodded, although I was only half listening. Like so many other things, Edward was amazingly good at foot massages. Closing my eyes, I allowed my mind to clear as Edward massaged my foot.

"You really are good at everything aren't you?" I said finally, opening my eyes as he switched feet.

Edward merely laughed and continued rubbing my foot. I sighed, still distraught over the whole situation.

"Why couldn't Charlie have chosen a normal girlfriend?" I moaned.

Edward chuckled and looked up at me.

"Like father like daughter, I suppose."

I chuckled weakly, rolling my eyes. Edward was distracting me again by leaning forward to put his head in my lap. I rumpled his hair fondly.

"Well," he said, rising. "It's time for my human to sleep."

"I don't think I can tonight…" I said, sighing.

"Do you have other ideas what we can do then?" he asked, his voice unintentionally seductive.

I flushed at the possibilities of what we _could_ do, if only I were also a vampire like him. Edward eyed me suggestively, raising an eyebrow, which only caused my blush to deepen.

"Oh, I don't know," I said, standing up to face him. "We could hitch a flight to Las Vegas and get married."

Edward laughed and scooped me up into his arms.

"Don't tempt me," he said, placing me into my bed. "I know you too well for that."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"I mean, you're not ready." He said, climbing over me to lie next to me. "I know you aren't."

"Guilty as charged," I said, turning to face him. "I hope you don't take that offensively though…"

"I… sort of understand." He said hesitantly. "You're worried about your parents…"

"Yes, partly." I answered, "But it's also the fact that I'm just nervous about it… what if… after we're married… you don't want me anymore…"

Edward propped himself up by his elbow, looking down at me with utmost seriousness in his eyes.

"I'll always want you…," he said quietly, "Haven't I already told you that being away from you once was nearly enough to kill me?"

"Not literally kill you…" I muttered, looking away.

Edward grasped my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"Bella, I want to be with you forever. I love you with all my heart and without you; there is no reason to remain alive. Even if the Volturi wouldn't kill me, I would simply find another way to die. Life without you has no purpose for me…"

"You can't kill yourself!" I exclaimed, "Not over me…"

"Try me." He said dryly.

I sighed, snuggling in close to him. I wished there was a way to prevent him from doing that act, even if I did die. Something that would prevent him from killing himself.

Then it hit me.

I smiled at Edward, closing my eyes as if to attempt to sleep, but in my head, a plan was forming.

Tomorrow, I would talk to Alice.

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I know weird cliffhanger and this chapter is not quite as long as I'd like it to be but… shrugs please R &R!!! 


	18. Author's Note

**Author's Note: **This is strictly an author's note, sorry for those expecting another chapter. I've been extremely busy lately and with Eclipse out, I'm debating on whether or not I should continue this. It interferes with a bit of the writing and everything. So I'd like to hear the majority opinion: To continue or not to continue? If I don't continue, I will most likely finish up my other stories and/or start another story, possibly a Breaking Dawn type story. Anyways give me your opinions.

I also would like to hear some requests for one-shots or for stories that you would like to see told. Let me know what you think! I'm thinking for my next story I might do a Jasper/Alice story… give me your opinions!

ReadingBeauty


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